The New Girl
by goneofftodream
Summary: Emily, the new girl at Rosewood Prep, finds herself befriending one of the top swimmers in the Mid-Atlantic region, Paige McCullers. Paige is one of the popular girls, with a girlfriend, an amazing personality, and a full ride scholarship to Stanford. What happens when Emily uncovers a secret that could ruin their relationship?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys, so this is a new story that I've just been writing because I've got writer's block on my other story. Let me know what you guys think of the story line. ENJOY! This is the first time that I haven't written in first person POV, so it's a work in progress.**

 **Chapter 1**

Emily stared down the long corridor. She felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of people occupying it. She glanced at the clock and realized that she only had a few minutes for class start. Taking a deep breath, she entered the crowded hallway navigating herself through the heard of people.

It was Emily's first day at Rosewood Preparatory. She'd been in the school over the weekend, but this time she parents and counselor weren't with her. She quickly made her way to her first class and sat in the front of the class as the other students began to file in.

Rosewood Preparatory was located in Rosewood Pennsylvania. It was 1,600 miles away from where she lived. She had lived in Fort Hood, Texas her entire life. That was all she knew, and now her life was being uproot and taken to an unfamiliar school in an unfamiliar land right before she started her senior year. She didn't understand why she had to move cross the country when her dad was still stationed at Fort Hood. Now, it was just her and her mom in Philadelphia. Rosewood was only an hour away, but it was a boarding school. She was only allowed to come home on the weekends.

Her roommate was a bubbly girl, Hanna Marin. She was glad that she didn't have to endure awkward silence because Hanna never stopped talking. She always had something to talk about. The two met over the summer before school started and hit it off pretty well. But Emily only met three out of the 342 students going to Rosewood Prep, Hanna's friends Aria and Spencer.

It was a little nerve-racking for Emily on the first day of school, but Hanna made sure that when they weren't in class that the group kept her company. It made Emily feel a little more at home.

Emily sat quietly as she watched the student file into the class. The teacher followed shortly after. The students took their seats and remained quiet as the teacher called out their name.

"Aria Montgomery?"

"Here," Aria said waving her hand and smiling at the teacher. Emily had briefly met Aria, but she found Aria a little intimidating.

"Emily Fields?"

"Here," Emily said quiet, raising her hand.

"Paige McCullers?" There was silence in the room as Emily waited for a Paige McCullers to say here. "Paige McCullers? Paige McCullers? Anyone seen Paige?" Students shook their heads before the teacher moved on in the roll call.

"Alright class, welcome to AP Chemistry! I'm your teacher, Mr. Hall, and I'm looking forward to an exciting year with this class. So, if you could all take out your planners or notebooks and write down the following dates on the board while I pass out your textbooks." The sound of backpacks unzipping and pages turning was all that could be heard throughout the class. Emily pulled out her notebook and began writing down the dates: September 1: Chapters 1-3, September 5: Chapter4-6, September 9: Test.

While Mr. Hall started handing out textbooks, the door to the classroom opened. Emily glanced up from her note taking and glanced at the girl that had just walked into the room. She wore skinny jeans that fit perfectly and a loose v-neck. She had the front of her hair pinned back, letting the rest of her hair flow over her shoulders.

"Ah, you must be Paige," Mr. Hall said turning to face her.

"Yes, sir, I'm sorry I'm late. Practice went longer than expected."

"That's already, just don't make it a habit."

"I won't sir," she said nodding.

"Take any open seat," he said handing Paige a textbook.

Emily glanced around looking at the open seats without raising her head. The only seat that was open was right next to her. Emily kept her focus on her notebook, while she heard Paige take the open seat next to her.

"Alright class, now that you've got your textbooks and dates written down, I want you to turn to the person next to you because they are going to be your lab partners for the rest of the semester."

Emily inwardly groaned. She slowly turned to face the other girl, but Paige was jotting down the dates in her notebook. After Paige had jotted down the dates she quickly turned to Emily and gave her a warm smile.

"Hi, I'm Paige," Paige said extending out her hand.

"Emily." Emily replied, a little surprised by Paige's friendliness.

"You new here?"

"Yeah transferred schools this year."

"Ah, so where are you from?" Paige asked opening her textbooks.

"Fort Hood Texas."

"Army Brat?" Paige asked as she put two and two together. Emily nodded. "So how are you liking Rosewood Prep?"

"I'll admit, it's better than I expected," Emily said opening up a bit.

"Well if you haven't gotten a chance to try the lasagna, put that on your checklist. It's to die for."

"Dually noted," Emily said with a smile. She was really starting to like Paige.

"Have you oriented yourself with the school and your classes?"

"I think so. I'm a little iffy on where the gym and math wing are, but other than that I think I know where I'm going."

"Lemme see your schedule," Paige asked. Emily kindly handed over she schedule. Paige's eye quickly glanced over it. "Damn! You got an amazing schedule."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're done with classes at like 2! All my classes start early and end late, with huge breaks in the middle of the day. Oh we also have math next to each other and the gym is close by so I'll show you those."

"Don't you also have practice?" Emily asked, remembering that Paige said that she practice was extended.

"Yeah. I'm on the swim team 5 am practices 5-6 days a week."

"Oh that sounds brutal."

"Trust me, I'm in a better relationship with coffee than my girlfriend," Paige said passing Emily's schedule back to her. Emily's heart skipped a beat when she heard that Paige had a girlfriend. Emily hadn't met many gay people in Texas. It was hard when she came out in middle school. She was bullied through most of high school. She guessed that that was one of the reasons she parents wanted to move.

"Do you swim?" Paige asked.

"I swam back at my old school, but I missed the tryout period for Rosewood."

"Well Coach Fulton is a really relaxed coach. I'm sure you can get she to at least watch you swim. I'm going to the pool around 4pm if you want to join. She's usually there until 6pm."

"Yeah, I'd love to."

"Alright class I hope that you have all gotten to know your lab partner because you're stuck with them for the rest of the semester. As you know a requirement for this class is to meet up with your lab partner outside of class to make sure that you are both prepared for tests and practicum. Now if you would kindly swap some sort of information with your lab partner. Thank you. You are dismissed after you have done so."

"Here," Paige said passing her phone to Emily. Emily quickly searched her bag before handing her phone to Paige.

"Uh, passcode," Paige said handing Emily's phone to her. Emily slightly embarrassed quickly entered her passcode and handed her phone back to her. They both quickly entered in their information.

"Ready for math?" Paige asked as she gathered her belongings.

"No," Emily replied as she followed Paige out of the classroom.

"So there are multiple ways to get to the math wing, and the gym is just down the hall. This is a short cut way if you're in a hurry to get to class, which for me is like always."

I tried to memorize the way that Paige was taking me. We went through hallways I didn't even know existed.

"I take it that you've been here for a while," Emily said trying to memorize every turn.

"Ever since middle school. My parents like the way the school is structured. "It gives students the allusion of college life,"" Paige said using air quotes.

"I guess our parents think alike," Emily laughed.

"Alright we're here. The gym at the end of the hall and the lockers are straight back after you enter the gym. You can't miss them; they're like these big blue doors. Just look for your locker number and you should already have a set of clothes in there."

"Thanks!"

"No problem. Let me know if you get lost or something. What hall are you in?"

"Flagstaff."

"No kidding, you got lucky. Flagstaff is the newest dorm."

"Well I'm just a lucky girl. Where are you?"

"I'm in the Village."

"That's the suite one right?"

"Yup, got my own room and everything. Perks of being a athlete," Paige said grinning.

We heard the warning bell ringing in the distance. Paige said a quick 'see you later' before heading to her class across the hall. Emily let out a sigh of relief. Something about Paige made her feel so nervous. She'd only met the girl, but it seemed as if she could talk to her forever. Emily quickly looked through her phone and smiled when she found Paige's name: Paige McCullers ;).

Math was the only class that she didn't have the company of the group. She took the seat nearest to the window. She waited as the teacher handed out the syllabus, and give his introductory lecture.

"Good morning everyone, I'm Mr. Harrison. I've passed out the syllabus, which I hope that you will take seriously. Everything…."

Emily turned out Harrison's lecture. She pulled out her phone and found Paige's number and started to type a quick text.

 **Emily: Please tell me Harrison isn't as boring at he seems.**

 **Paige: Sorry girl, I think you're lucks run out. ;)**

Emily felt her lips curl into a smile as she reread Paige's text. She felt a soft nudge from the student next to her. The student who nudged her was signaling for her to put her phone away cause Harrison was walking down the rows. She gave him a soft smile before returning her attention to Harrison.

She was so relieve to hear the sound of the bell ending the worst class of her life. She ran out of the class as fast as possible. She looked to see which way the gym was. She spotted Paige down the hall. She was talking to a girl was at her locker. The girl was in Emily's math class. She sat in front of Emily. Emily figured that that was Paige's girlfriend because Paige gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

Emily ignored her feelings as she headed towards the gym. Paige's directions were dead on. The locker rooms were straight ahead. Big blue doors. She quickly glanced at her schedule to find her locker. 0518. Her locker was in the last inlet. Her name was clearly printed on the locker. She quickly entered in the combination and grabbed the clothes that were waiting for her. Hanna appeared from around the corner and opened a locker on the other end of the inlet.

"How are you classes going so far?" Hanna asked as she began to change.

"Pretty good, although I got Harrison and I think I want to shoot myself."

"Harrison…Aria had him last year, I think she listened to music the entire time and she still got an A."

"I can't decide what's worst, coma or Harrison."

"Tough choice."

"Well other than Harrison, everything's okay?"

"Yeah, they're great."

"Good!"

"Question, do you know Paige McCullers?"

"Yeah, everyone does. She's like really popular. Well not like the bitchy popular, she's like the nice popular. Everyone likes her. She's also like ranked on the top high school swimmer in the Mid-Atlantic region or something. Why do you ask?"

"She's my lab partner."

"Well I guarantee that you'll get an A in that class."

"Good to know."

Gym class went by quickly for both Hanna and Emily. All they did was sign up for which gym class they wanted to take. They both choose to go to the fitness center for the semester.

After gym Emily stopped by the cafeteria to get something to eat and maybe start some of her homework. Grabbing a quick salad and soup, Emily sat down and started she English assignment that was due tomorrow. Mr. Fitz had assigned a one-page essay about a struggle and how it changed you. Of course Emily wrote about her coming out because it was the only struggle that she really faced head on.

Halfway through her essay she decided to take a break and check Facebook. She began scrolling through her newsfeed when she stopped on a post the Rosewood Prep had posted about the swim team. There was a picture of the entire swim team and Paige was front and center holding the state trophy. She had biggest smile on her face.

Emily quickly typed Paige's name into the search box. Her name popped up immediately with 16 friends in common. Emily began to scroll through Paige photos, she was tagged in more photos than she posted. Most of them were her and a girl named Shana, which Emily assumed was Paige's girlfriend.

Emily decided to do a little more stalking, so she typed Paige's name into the search engine. Hundreds of links appeared. She scanned through the result lists of some of the races Paige was in. Comparing her times with Paige's, she realized that Paige was a speed demon. She times were at least a second off from Paige's.

"That's the hardest I've ever seen anyone study something," Emily heard a voice say. She quickly looked up from her computer and found Paige standing in front of her. She exited out of the site and closed her computer.

"I guess it was something that interested me."

"Well, you're a dedicated person. My attention span is about five seconds," Paige said taking a seat across from Emily.

"Well my attention span is about two seconds with Harrison."

"Ah, Harrison, those were the glory days," Paige reminisced before laughing. "I had him last year. Just remember to do the homework because that's where he gets his test questions."

"Thanks for the tip," Emily said with a smile.

"So you ready?" Paige asked.

"For what?"

"To go to pool. It's almost four," Paige said glancing at her watch.

"It's four already."

"Time flies when you're invested in something," Paige said pointing to my computer.

Emily packed up her things and followed Paige outside. The pool was directly across from the Village, which was where Paige was living. It wasn't much farther from Emily's.

Coach Fulton was in her office when Paige knocked softly on her door.

"Hi Paige, here to swim?" Coach asked.

"No today coach, I just needed to grab some things. I wanted to introduce you to someone," Paige said motioning for Emily to enter the room. "This is Emily…"

"Fields," Emily responding, realizing that Paige didn't know her last name.

"Well, hello Emily, I'm Coach Fulton, but everyone calls me Coach."

"Hi," Emily said shyly.

"Emily Fields…that names rings a bell. You swam previously, I presume."

"Yes, Fort Hood Area Dolphins."

"Ah that's right."

"I wasn't able to make it to the try-out period because we were in the middle of moving. I was wondering if I could try out now, if possible."

"Well of course it's possible. Why don't you come to practice tomorrow morning and we'll go from there."

"Really?"

"Really," Coach Fulton said with a smile.

"Thank you thank you!" Emily shouted excitedly.

"We'll see you tomorrow bright and early."

"5 am, bright and early!" Paige joked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys the next chapter is up! so glad that you are enjoying this storyline! I should be getting back to my other story soon, don't you worry. Let me know what y'all think of this so far! ENJOY!**

 **Chapter 2**

The sound of the alarm resonated throughout Paige's room. Rudely awoken from her sleep, she quickly changed into her swimming clothes. Paige threw her day clothes into her bag and heading to the kitchen in the suite. Most of her roommates were athletes so that all had to be up early. The girl right across the hall, Sydney, was on the swim team as well. They usually walked together in the morning.

Paige grabbed her breakfast that was already in the fridge before heading out. The pool was right across from her hall so she didn't have to walk far. The sun was just starting to come up when she enter the pool. She had become accustomed to waking up early. Some days were rough, but with the help of coffee she managed to get through her day.

Paige dropped her things off in her locker before heading out to the pool. The rest of the team was starting to gather on the benches waiting for Coach. Emily appeared a few minutes dressed in her swim gear. Paige's heart momentarily stopped as she admired Emily's toned almost naked body.

"Hey," Emily said quietly as she stood next to Paige.

"Hey," Paige croaked. She could tell that Emily picked up on that croak of a 'hey' that came out.

"I have to admit; I'm not used to waking up this early."

"Coffee, coffee, and coffee," Paige repeated with a smile.

"I guess were going to be fighting who gets it first," Emily joked.

"Emily, good to see you made it," Coach Fulton said as she approached Emily.

"Good to be here Coach," Emily chanted with enthusiasm.

"Today's a pretty easy day, we're just going to be doing time trials. I just want to see how you swim today. Don't let the timing affect your performance."

"Sounds good," Emily responded.

The team split up into timing groups. Paige took her spot in the first group, while Emily was placed in the last. The warm-up loosed up their body so that they were ready for the time trials.

Paige took her stance on the board and waited for the Coach's whistle to blow, as soon as she heard the whistle the launched herself into the water with power. She found peace with the water; it was her place to strive. Emily watched as Paige gracefully and quickly cut through the water. She easily smoked her fellow teammates by at least two, maybe three, body lengths.

"Looking good Paige," Coach said as she showed the times today.

Coach Fulton called up the next group until it was Emily's turn. She took her stance on the same board that Paige had occupied. She secured the goggles to her eyes and waited for the whistle to blow. Her nervous were building up inside. As soon as the Coach blow the whistle her body hit the water. Everything gradually came back to her as she powered down the lane. She didn't pay attention to the swimmers next to her. She focused on the water ahead of her, her breathing, and her strokes.

She felt her hand press against tile before emerging from the water. She was a little startled to see a hand in front of her. Emily looked up to find Paige giving her a radiant smile.

"Great job Em," she said pulling me out of the water. Emily glanced around and noticed that some of the swimmers were just hitting the wall.

"Thanks," Emily responded breathlessly. The nervous caught up with her.

"Wow, Emily, you've got excellent technique," Coach Fulton said as she approached Emily. "You're times are impressive as well." She showed Emily the times. Emily time was only about two second from Paige's time. "You might even give Paige a run for her money," she joked.

"So…" Paige inquired.

"So…I'd like to welcome you to the Sharks," Coach said.

"Thank you, thank you," Emily screamed hugging Coach. She had completely forgotten that she was soaking wet. She quickly withdrew and apologized profusely to Coach. Coach Fulton just laughed and dismissed Emily's actions.

"Paige, if you could show Emily where everything is, and get her some clothes that would be great," Coach said as the practice ended.

Paige led Emily into the back room where all the uniforms were stored. She rummaged through a couple of boxes before she found what she was looking for.

"What size are you?" Paige asked holding two packages.

"Small," Emily replied.

"You're in luck this is the last small kit," Paige said tossing her the package. "Oh here, you'll need these too." Paige handed Emily a Shark's duffle bag, jacket, and water bottle.

"Do they just keep all this stuff in here?"

"Well last year they messed up the order so we had extras of everything. So we just keep them back here and give them to the new members. Come on, I'll show you your locker."

Emily followed Paige down the rows of lockers. She stopped at one and did the combination before grabbing tape and writing Emily's name on it. She placed it in the name plague that was on the front of the locker. Emily glanced at the lockers around her and saw Paige's locker on the opposite side.

"Here, the combo's here and if you forget it Coach has all of them in her office," Paige said handing Emily a piece of paper.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Welcome to the team!"

Paige finished writing down the last of the homework problems when the bell rang. She quickly gathered her things and headed towards the hall. She made her way towards the end of the hall and stopped at her girlfriend's locker.

Shana came out of Harrison's class followed by Emily. Paige watched as Emily made her way towards the gym. Her long raven hair flowed gracefully with every step she took.

"What am I doing!" Paige whispered to herself, trying to shake the thoughts of Emily before she girlfriend reached her.

"Hey," Shana said giving Paige a small smile.

"Hey, how was Harrison?"

"Don't ever get me started on how boring that class is," Shana moaned as she grabbed some of her books.

"Well maybe I can take you mind off of it tonight," Paige offered. There was a moment of hesitation from Shana before she responded.

"I-I can't. I have this project that's due next week and Jenna's only free tonight to work on it."

"Oh, that's okay, maybe some other time," Paige responded in defeat. "I'll see you later then." Paige leaned in to kiss Shana, but Shana pulled back just enough for Paige to notice. Paige pretended not to notice and peck her on the cheek before leaving.

Paige had been trying to take Shana on a date for the past month, but Shana always found some excuse to say 'no'. They had been dating for almost two years and over the recent months Paige had noticed a change in her behavior but she could figure out what it was. She mother passed away from cancer three months ago, and Paige had just assumed that she was still mourning. She shook off her unsettling feelings and returned to her room in The Village to catch up on the homework she had been putting off.

Emily ran her fingers through her hair as she sat through her last class, English. Mr. Fitz was a really interesting teacher, but she was exhausted from waking up so early. Hanna was not the happiest person when Emily's alarm went off at 4:30am, but she had fallen back to sleep by the time Emily left.

"Please submit your essay by Friday at 6:30pm," Mr. Fitz said before the bell rang.

Hanna and Emily made their way back to their room. They stopped off to get coffee before getting to work on their homework.

"I heard you're a Shark now," Spencer said entering their room.

"Yeah," Emily replied.

"Spencer's on the field hockey team," Hanna commented.

"That's great Em," Aria said from the corner of the room.

"Not for me. I don't know how long I can deal with you waking up at 4:30 in the morning."

"Hanna, you were fast asleep when I left, which was like ten minutes after my alarm when off," Emily reminded Hanna.

"Whatever, I was still awoken from my sleep," Hanna argued.

"You know Emily, it's not to late to apply to live in the Village," Spencer offered. "There are a few rooms opened."

"Definitely considering it. I don't want to have to deal with THAT," Emily said pointing at Hanna, "every morning."

"Just get her coffee before class and she'll forget anything ever happened," Aria whispered in my ear.

"Oh good tip," Emily whispered back.

"So you have to be a pretty good swimmer to get onto the team without trying out," Spencer commented as she took a seat on Hanna's bed.

"Are you kidding me, she's only like a second off from beating THE Paige McCullers," Hanna said excitedly.

"Wow, Paige like an All-State champion or something," Aria said.

"Okay Hanna, it was two seconds, and I still have a lot of work to do if I'm ever going to get anywhere near Paige's level. Here times are almost Olympic times."

"Two seconds, it can't be that hard," Hanna scoffed.

"You'd be surprised," Spencer retorted. "So you know Paige?"

"Yeah we're lab partners, and now teammates."

"She's probably one of the nicest people I know, but she's dating a complete bitch," Spencer said.

"Shana right?"

"Yeah."

"Haven't they been dating for like two years or something?" Aria asked.

"Yeah. I honestly don't know how Paige is attracted to someone like that. I mean, yeah she's pretty and she's got a great body, but she's got no personality or feelings."

Emily listened as the group talked about Paige's girlfriend, Shana. Everything that came out about her was in a negative light. Obviously Paige saw something in Shana that others haven't. Emily felt as if Paige had this personality where she could see through the walls that people put up and see who they really are. Maybe Shana had something bad happen to her and Paige could see through Shana's façade and realize that she's scared and alone.

Paige closed her math textbook and let out a sigh of relief. She's finished all her homework for the day and it was just about time for dinner. She was hoping to have dinner with Shana, but seeing as that fell threw she didn't have much to do. She reached for a phone and sent a quick text.

 **Paige: Hey Em! It's Paige. R u doing anything right now?"**

She waited a couple of minutes before she saw the three dots appear under her message. A few seconds later a message from Emily appeared.

 **Emily: Hey! Nope, just trying to get Harrison's boring voice out of my head.**

 **Paige: There's this great pizza place a few blocks from campus if ur up for a night in Philly.**

 **Emily: Yes! Anything to get Hanna and Harrison out of me head :)**

 **Paige: I'll meet u at Flagstaff in ten?**

 **Emily: Can't wait.**

Paige pocketed her phone and checked herself in the mirror before leaving. The walk from the Village to Flagstaff was about a ten-minute walk. She arrived at Flagstaff just as Emily was entering the lobby.

"Hey," Emily said shoving her hands in her jean pockets. "I didn't know if I had to dress up and then I just got lazy so I didn't change."

"Don't worry about it. It's a really casual place," Paige said reassuringly.

Emily found the pizza place that Paige took her to be very rustic, yet homey. The waiter gave them a table in the corner for two. Paige ordered her favorite, cheese with caramelized onions, which Emily agreed to try.

"So Em, I don't really know much about you," Paige started trying to break the awkward silence.

"I think I know I little about you," Emily quipped.

"Oh really."

"Well, let's see…you're captain of the swim team, you're originally from California, you have an older brother, and your birthday is May 18th, and you have a chocolate lab named Ellie."

"Okay…wow, I don't know if I should scared, impressed, or concerned," Paige said before smiling.

"Okay fine, I did a little stalking after we were paired as lab partners," Emily admitted. "Don't tell me you didn't do the same."

"Nope, I like to let people tell me about themselves," Paige said leaning back in her chair.

"Okay, what do you want to hear?" Emily asked.

"Anything you want to tell me. I guess start with the basics," Paige offered.

"Well, I was born November 18th in Fort Hood Texas…uh…my dad's been in the army as long as I can remember…I'm an only child…and I had a boxer named Bimbo."

"Bimbo?" Paige asked trying to control her laughter.

"Don't ask," Emily said trying to hide her embarrassment. "I was like four and I wanted to name him Jimbo, but somehow it ended up as Bimbo."

"Okay, another story for another day," Paige said getting her laughter under control. "So why move across the country if you're graduating in a year?"

"I had a lot of problems middle school through high school. I was, uh, bullied a lot for being gay. At the beginning of the summer by dad got a notice saying that he would be stationed in Virginia at the end of next year. I guess my jumped on the opportunity to move. They've always wanted to live in Philly so they bought a house in the suburbs. And now I'm here."

"I'm sorry about the bullying. I'm sure it wasn't easy."

"It was rough at first, but I guess I just got use to it after a while."

"Still, people are still so judgmental about the tiniest things," Paige said resting her hand on top of Emily's. She quickly removed it when she felt this sort of tingling in her hand.

"Anyways," Emily continued, not noticing Paige's actions. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Your story…"

"Well since you've done a great amount of stalking on me, you know that I was born in Cypress, California. I have an older brother, Patrick who goes to Columbia. I have a chocolate lab named Ellie, but she's with my parents back in California. I'm planning to go back to California for college. I don't know what else is there…"

"What about Shana?" Emily asked. She'd wanted to know Paige's opinion on the relationship instead of the Spencer's and Hanna's.

"We've been dating for two years. We met back when I just to play soccer."

"I think she's in my math class," Emily lied.

"Yup! I think she's planning the murder of Harrison if you want in," Paige joked. "What about you? Got anyone special?"

"I did."

"Oh shit…I'm sorry," Paige said realizing that the subject might have made Emily a little uncomfortable.

"No, it's okay. Her name was Maya; we dated for like three years. She was one of those popular girls. We started dating when we were freshman, but it was like one of those secret sneak-around relationships. She didn't want her parents to know, but then one day during junior year she was outed in front of the entire school. Everything just went to shit around. She started hooking up with guys while we were still dating and then she would come back and expect everything to be normal. Eventually I couldn't take it, so I ended it."

"Wow…I'm sorry," Paige said mentally hitting herself for making Emily think about a painful moment.

"Everyone has a shitty relationship, I guess I got a shittier one," Emily said shrugging it off.

"Well if I ever met this Maya, I'll make sure to give her a piece of my mind."

"I'm sure she would appreciate that," Emily said giving Paige a warm smile.

The food came before either of them could ask any more questions. Paige was thankful that she could give herself time to process everything that Emily had told her. She made a mental note to check this Maya girl out.

They ate in silence until there was nothing left to eat. Emily tried but Paige wouldn't let her. She considered it Emily's 'congratulation' for making the swim team. They walked a couple blocks and got ice cream which Paige let Emily pay for.

"I had a great time," Emily said standing outside of Flagstaff.

"Me too, we should do this again sometime," Paige smiled back.

"Definitely."

"I'll see you bright and early tomorrow," Paige joked.

"Don't remind me," Emily groaned.

"Goodnight Emily," Paige laughed.

"Goodnight Paige."

Emily watched as Paige retreated into the darkness. She watched until she couldn't see her. It was almost eleven o'clock when we unlocked the door to her room. She quietly entered and made her way to her bed. She should have turned a light on because she banged into the side her desk causing her lamp to clank against the ground.

"Emily, if you make one more sound I will strangle." Emily heard from the darkness.

She quickly turned the light on her phone on. She quickly changed into her pjs and grabbed her toothbrush. While waiting brushing her teeth she sent a quick text to Paige.

 **Emily: Ur buying Hanna coffee tmo**

 **Paige: I guess I saw that one coming ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Emily found herself trending water in the freezing cold pool. As part of their warm-up they had to tread water for ten minutes. They were only a few minutes and Emily felt exhausted. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep late night and she didn't get coffee this morning so she was running on fumes.

There were a few people between her and Paige. Paige looked equally as tired as Emily; I guess she didn't get a lot of sleep last night either. When Coach blew the whistle, Emily let her body relax in the water before swimming over to the side. She hoisted herself out of the water and joined the rest of the team.

Coach had us line up and do several drills and exercises. After an hour the team stretched and changed before returning the pool for a team meeting.

"Alright ladies, I'd like to introduce the newest member of our team, Emily," Coach said pointing to Emily, who immediately became self-conscious. "On Friday we have our first meet of the season. From the times that were taken yesterday, I've posted the line-up for Friday's race. No practice tomorrow morning, but there will be a short evening practice at 4pm, if you're not there you're not swimming."

Coach turned around and pinned the line-ups for Friday on the corkboard before heading to her office. The entire team didn't move of Coach had closed the door to her office. As soon as the click of the door echoed throughout the pool the swimmers raced to see where they would be swimming. The only swimmer who didn't make a move for the board was Paige. She stood patiently as the rest of the team pushed and shoved. After a few minutes the team began to dissipate, soon it was only Paige and Emily.

"Aren't you going to look?" Paige asked motioning to the piece of paper.

"No way Coach would have me swim. I've been on the team for like three days."

"You'd be surprised. Coach isn't about how long you've been here. She cares about potential. Have a look?" Paige said pointing to relays. Emily glanced at the sheet and noticed that her name was on the sheet multiple times. Emily was in two of the relays along with Paige. Paige swam anchor, while Emily swam first leg. She was also placed in multiple events like the 200m, 400m, and 800m.

"Told you! You've got potential Emily Fields," Paige said with a smile. "Now how about we get some coffee?"

"I think that's the best idea I've heard all day," Emily laughed.

Emily ordered her usual, Americano, from the coffee vender outside of the cafeteria. Paige ordered black with cream and sugar and a non-fat soy latte with caramel drizzle, before taking a seat next to Emily at the table.

"Which one's yours?" Emily asked starring at the two coffees.

"Guess?"

"Well the non-fat soy latte sounds like a classic white girl order, so I'm guessing you're more of a butch type of girls, so the black coffee," Emily said pointing to the coffee that Paige was about to take a sip out of.

"Are you a mind reader or something?"

"I guess you'll just have to find out," Emily said smiling as she took a sip of her coffee. "So who's the other one for?"

"Well if you wait about two minutes you'll find out," Paige smiled.

The two sat in silence drinking their coffee. In her mind she was mentally counting down the seconds. Two minutes later Hanna came into the cafeteria. When she spotted Emily and Paige, she briskly made her way over to them. Paige shoved the other coffee closer to Emily. The motion went unnoticed by Emily.

"Emily Fields…you come into the room crashing into things, waking me up at some god-forsaken hour and then I heard this buzzing at another god-forsaken hour of the morning. I sw….Is that for me?" Hanna asked pointing at the coffee Paige had gotten.

"Uh," Emily uttered, confused at what was happening.

"You can thank me later," Paige whispered as she got up and left. Emily remembered that last night she had told Paige that she was buying Hanna's coffee this morning.

"Oh thank you Emily! Chances you got my order on the first try." Hanna said taking a sip of her coffee, completely forgetting that she had been screaming at Emily just moments before.

"I guess I'm just lucky," Emily said still trying to process everything that had just happened. How did Paige know Hanna's order.

"So you and Paige?" Hanna inquired.

"What?"

"You two seem to be getting close," Hanna said as she occupied the seat Paige was sitting in.

"Ew, Hanna, no! We're just friends. We were getting coffee together after practice as FRIENDS."

"Whatever you say. You two are like a total match," Hanna said ignoring Emily's statement claiming that the two were friends. "She's got like a totally amazing killer body!"

"When have you seen her body?!"

"We room together sophomore year. Trust me, if I wasn't straight I would be all over that."

"Okay, ew, Hanna seriously!"

"What?" Hanna smiled.

"You're forgetting the fact that she has a girlfriend."

"Only a minor complication," Hanna said waving her hand in the air.

"Whatever you say. I have to get to class," I said gathering my things.

"Thanks for the coffee. I'll see you later," Hanna said heading back towards the cafeteria.

A few hours later Emily found herself sitting next to Paige in chem lab. Paige seemed a little distracted. She started messing up simple calculations and getting easily frustrated.

"Everything okay?" Emily asked taking over the measuring.

"This is the third time Shana blown me off for date night," Paige said looking at her phone. Emily stealthy peered over and glanced at the text. She only caught a glimpse of the conversation but Shana said that she has a test that she NEEDS to study for. "Every time I try and do something romantic she says she has a test or project that she 'needs' to study for. I don't want to push her, but I'm also pissed. I feel like she's avoiding me."

"Maybe she's dealing with something personal," Emily suggested trying to take a load off Paige's shoulders.

"She asked me to give her space. I've given her space, three months of space," Paige said frustrated. "Her mom passed from cancer and I thought that she was just in an extended mourning period, but now I'm not so sure anymore."

"Maybe she's needs time to figure out how to tell you what's going on."

"I hope that's the case," Paige said tossing her phone into her bag.

"Hey, I'm sure everything will work out," Emily said giving Paige a warm pat on the back. "I know that we only just met, but if you ever need to talk to someone or just keep you company, I'm here day or night."

"Thanks Em," Paige said taking her head out of her hands. She focused her attention back to lab and tried to forget about the worrying feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

"I want lab reports on my desk tomorrow morning," Mr. Hall said as we filed out of the classroom. Thankfully they both finished them before the class period was over. Emily walked next to Paige without speaking a word. Paige gave Emily a small smile before heading into her math class. Emily felt sick to her stomach. She hated seeing Paige suffer like she was. Even though they had only just met, Emily felt connected to Paige. Whatever Paige was feeling, Emily seemed to feel the same.

Emily took her seat behind Shana and prepared herself Harrison's hour-long lectures on derivatives. She quickly tuned out Harrison's voice and focused her attention on Shana. Shana had her phone in front of her, but hidden from Harrison's view. Emily could just make out some of the sentences that she was typing. She craned her neck to see whom she was sending the long text to. Emily hoped that she would read Paige's name at the top of text but instead it read: Jenna. Jenna? Who is Jenna? Emily racked her brains trying to think if she had ever heard the name Jenna before, but she hadn't.

When the bell rang, Emily practically ran out of Harrison's class. She quickened her pace to get to gym class, hoping to find Hanna there. Sure enough, Hanna was seating there waiting for her.

"Wow Em, I don't think I've seen anyone actually run to gym class. Why the hurry?" Hanna asked when she noticed that Emily was out of breath.

"Oh I thought I was late," Emily lied.

"You've got ten minutes before we have to in the fitness center. Take a breath."

"Hey, question?" Emily asked as she changed into her gym clothes.

"Shoot."

"Do you know a Jenna?"

"Well there are a couple of Jennas in the school. Two of them are underclassmen, but there's one in our grade, Jenna Cavanaugh. Why?"

"I was talking to this girl and she mentioned the name and I got curious," Emily said trying to find a lie that would pass Hanna. "New kid and all."

"Gotcha," Hanna nodded. "Well we better get down there."

Fitness class was a joke. You basically show up and got on a machine for an hour then leave you don't even have to try hard. Just pretend like your working hard when the teacher passes by and you're guaranteed an A.

"Hey pretty," Paige said leaning against Shana's locker.

"Paige, hey! You startled me," Shana said putting her book into her locker. She barely made eye contact with Paige.

"So I know you said you had to work on that project tonight, but would you make wanna get coffee with me tomorrow morning? I don't have practice so it wouldn't be at an ungodly hour," Paige offered trying to get some alone time with her girlfriend.

"Paige that sounds lovely, but I'm meeting up with my teacher to—"

"Go over your project…" Paige said finishing her sentence.

"I'm really sorry Paige, but this project is—"

"Worth a third of your semester grade," Paige said finishing Shana's sentence again.

"Paige…"

"It's okay. I get it. I guess I'll see you later," Paige said defeated. She walked away without giving Shana a kiss on the cheek.

Paige threw herself onto her bed and let out a shout of frustration. She'd always been the one trying in the relationship. For a while everything was perfect, but mid-way through the summer her other passed and everything just changed. Paige gave her the space she wanted, but she'd be there to comfort Shana when she needed it. Things were like this up until a few weeks ago. Shana began to open up and show affection and then as soon as school started she been blowing off Paige saying that she had 'school work' that 'had' to be done.

Paige laid on her bed doing her homework, trying to get the thoughts of Shana out of her head. After a few hours she couldn't take it anymore and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Em, hey, I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time," Paige said through the phone.

"Oh no not at all. I just finished math."

"You know how you offered to keep me company…"

"Yeah."

"Well I was wondering if I could take you up on that offer. I need something to take my mind off Shana."

"Yeah, of course. I've got the perfect thing. I'll be over in a few minutes," Emily said before hanging up the phone.

Paige quickly changed into running shorts and a t-shirt. There was a soft knock on the door just as Paige had finished changing. Since her suite was empty, she quickly ran out to get the door. Emily, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, was standing in the doorway with a bag.

"Hey, come in," Paige said opening the door wider. Emily quickly slipped into the room before Paige closed it behind her. "My room's the last door on the right." Emily's eyes scanned Paige's room as she entered. Her room was neatly put together, with her bed and dresser off to the side. She noticed a TV in the far corner of the room, perfect for the items that she had brought with her.

"So is everything okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

"I would prefer not to talk about it. I just want to enjoy your company at the moment, if that's okay?"

"Of course it is," Emily said placing her bag on the bed.

"What's in the bag?" Paige asked pointing at Emily's backpack.

"Something that I do when I'm having a bad day," Emily responded unzipping her backpack. She pulled out a medium size tin and some DVDs. Paige glanced at the selection of DVDs and noticed that they were all Disney.

"Disney?"

"Hey, they can cheer anyone up," Emily said opening one of them and putting it in the DVD player. "And with my help of Mamma Field's cooking, you'll be just peachy within minutes." Emily opened to reveal homemade chocolate cookies. "Try one."

"Holy shit," Paige said flabbergasted. "Theses are amazing. Can your mom become my personal chef?"

"I'll let her know that she has a job offer waiting," Emily laughed.

"I'll pay her double if she starts tomorrow!" Paige joked.

They both returned to their silence once the movie started. Paige hadn't watched a lot of Disney, so Tangled was a very entertaining movie. She liked how Finn and Rapunzel finally got together in the end after Finn died protecting her, but then Rapunzel brought him back to life with her tears.

"What's next?" Paige asked as soon as the credits had finished.

"You choose," Emily said laying out the selection of movies. "But if you cause me to wake Hanna from her precious sleep, you're buying her coffee tomorrow."

"Well we can't have that happen again," Paige laughed. "How about a few episodes of Micky Mouse and then we'll call it a night."

"Good choice," Emily said getting up and putting the DVD in. She selected the play all button before returning to Paige's bed.

"Hey Emily, can I ask you something? You don't have to answer it if you don't feel comfortable."

"Yeah, sure," Emily replied, focusing her attention on Paige.

"How did you find out Maya was cheating on you?"

"A friend of mine sat behind her in class, and one day she saw she sending long text to me, but when she asked me about it, I hadn't received any. I guess I knew that something was going on, but when I got a hold of her phone I couldn't find any texts under than name besides mine. I thought that maybe she had a best friend named Emily so I just ignored it. But my friend kept seeing her send text to 'Emily' and then one night I went to this party. Neither of us knew that the other was there, but I ended up walking in on her and some guy having sex. The next day she came to me, saying that she had been wicked drunk and it just happened. Being the naïve junior I was, I just dismissed it. But eventually she'd start blowing me off, and then about a month later my friend walked in on them again, and after that I knew it was an accident, so I ended it."

"What happened after? Like in school and stuff?"

"Well our school was small enough that we couldn't avoid each other. We had a majority of our classes together. But I guess I managed. We would only talk when we had too, and since the move I haven't talked to her since."

"I'm sorry," Paige said trying to process the information.

"Like I said everyone goes through a shitty relationship, sometimes it hits you in the face and other you seem to already know that it turning to shit."

Paige contemplated what to say next, but she couldn't come up with a response. She wanted to talk to Emily about Shana, but she wasn't entirely sure what was happening with their relationship. They were on their second episode of Micky Mouse when Paige's phone lit up.

 **Shana: Hey P, project is done! How about that coffee date?**

 **Paige: Sounds great babe! Brew at 9am?**

 **Shana: Can't wait 3**

"What are you so happy about?" Emily asked when she noticed the smile on Paige's face.

"Coffee date tomorrow morning with Shana," Paige said laying down on the bed.

"Paige! That's great!" Emily said high-fiving Paige. Although deep down Emily was sad that she wouldn't get to spend time with Paige in the morning.

"I guess maybe we can actually sit down and talk about what's going on."

"Just remember let her tell you, don't push her."

"Thanks Em," Paige said wrapping her arms about Emily. Emily embraced Paige's body heat and soft arms immediately.

They finished a few more episodes before calling it a night. Emily gathered her things and headed towards the front door.

"Thanks for tonight. I really needed the company."

"I'm always here."

"Goodnight Emily."

"Goodnight Paige."

"Oh wait Em," Paige said from the hallway. "You forgot these." She was holding up the full tin of cookies.

"No I didn't," Emily said with smile before closing the door behind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sunlight poured through Paige's room. She was so used to waking up in the dark that the sun momentarily blinded her. She stumbled around her room until her eyes oriented with the sunlight that now filled her room. Glancing down at her watch she realized that she was already running late. It was almost nine o'clock.

Paige quickly rummaged through her drawers looking for something to where. She settled on skinny jeans and a classic t-shirt. She through her hair into a messy bun, grabbed her bag, and rushed out of her room. The walk to the Brew was only about ten minutes, but Paige managed to get there in five. Shana was already standing in line when Paige arrived.

"Hey babe," Paige said wrapped her arms around Shana.

"Hey!" Shana replied giving Paige a peck on the lips. "I just ordered the coffees and two muffins."

"Great! I'll grab us a table," Paige said scoping out a table. She found an unoccupied one in the far corner of the café. Shana appeared a few minutes later with the coffees and muffin.

"Those smell delicious," Paige said peering into the brown paper bag.

"Fresh from the oven," Shana chirped.

"Wow it's been a while since…"

"Yeah, I know, but we finished that project last night, so I'm all yours," Shana said taking a sip of her coffee.

"Good to know. So how have you been?" Paige asked trying to get back into their routine.

"Good, tired, but I'm glad things are finally working out. Remind me never to take summer classes again."

"Dually noted. What was the project anyways?"

"Project on the evolution of the government systems."

"Remind me never to become a politician."

"I think it's safe to say that neither of us will be becoming politician after that," Shana laughed.

Emily followed the rest of the group into this small coffee shop a few blocks from campus. It was a tradition that all three, well now all four of them went for coffee Friday morning before heading to classes. Emily tagged along with Hanna, since she didn't have practice this morning.

"This place is amazing Em, you're gonna love it," Spencer said holding the door open for me.

"You've got to try their French Press coffee. It's to die for," Spencer commented as they got in line.

Emily took a few minutes to look at the menu before ordering. She decided to take Spencer up on the French Press coffee, and a blueberry muffin. While she was had the condiments stations before noticed Shana occupying a seat in the far corner. The other girl had her back facing Emily, but Emily quickly figured out that the other girl was Paige. She resisted the urge to go over and say 'hi'.

"Good choice on the blueberry muffin," Aria said as Emily joined the group near the windows.

"Blueberry's my go to muffin."

"I know it's only like the first week but how are classes going?" Spencer asked taking a sip of her latte.

"Great actually," Emily quipped. She had actually found Rosewood Prep to be a lot easier than her school back in Texas, maybe because it was smaller. "Except Harrison is getting on my last nerves."

"Ew, Harrison. I literally put in my ear buds for the entire class and he never notice or he did but didn't say anything," Aria chimed in.

"I think I might have to start doing that or else my brain might slip into a coma."

"Hey at least you only have him three days a week," Aria commented. "I had him five days a week and he was my advisor, well he's still my advisor."

"Oh that's rough."

The rest of the girls fell into simple conversations. Emily joined in every once in a while, but she mainly focused her attention on Paige. The way Paige moved her hands when she talked, her body language, and Shana's reactions and actions. From the looks of their conversation, it seemed as though Shana was opening up more to Paige, talking and smiling, putting her hands on top of Paige's. She was happy that they were working things out, but she was sad that now Paige would be spending more time with Shana.

Emily was brought back into the conversation that the girls were having when Hanna jabbed her in the stomach.

"Ah, Hanna, what was that for?"

"Spencer and Aria have been trying to ask you a question for like the past minute."

"Oh, sorry, I guess that coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet."

"Anyways, Aria and I were wondering if you had plans for Columbus Day weekend," Spencer said. "Because we're heading down to New York for the weekend to visit Spencer's sister, Melissa, in New York City."

"I wish I could but that's when states are," I said glancing at my calendar. "What about you Hanna. Aren't you going?"

"Can't, I'm on the planning committee for the winter formal," she responded.

The girls soon feel back into conversation about their classes and what not. Emily turned her attention to the far corner only to find that Paige and Shana weren't there anymore. She looked around the café for a second but they were nowhere in sight. She let out a deflated sigh before returning to Hanna's rant out her English teacher, Mr. Barpson.

"Alright ladies, tonight is just going to be an easy practice. We're just going to be swimming a couple of laps, skills, and then practice launches," Coach Fulton said as she began to break the team up into three groups. Paige and Emily were placed in opposite groups so they weren't able to talk to each other.

Emily started off in the skills section, then laps, and then launches, while Paige did the reverse. It was a much easier practice than Emily had expected. It only lasted about an hour and half and they were out before the sun started to set.

"Hey," Paige said catching up with Emily in the locker room. Since their lockers were right across from each other it was easy for them to have a conversation.

"Hey," Emily said grabbing her change of clothes from her locker.

"Are you hungry?"

"What?"

"Are you hungry? Like do you want to eat something?" Paige asked again.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I could eat," Emily said a little confused.

"There's this really good Italian restaurant about ten minutes from campus. I always got there. It's sort of a pre-race tradition," Paige said with smile.

"Okay, sure, let me just drop this stuff on the way," Emily said, motioning to her bag.

Paige walked Emily to her dorm and waited for her in the lobby while she dropped her stuff off in her room. The restaurant was only a few minutes away from Emily's room. It was a small local chain, but as soon as Emily walked through the door the smell of garlic, spices, and marinara sauce hit her.

"Wow, it smells amazing in here," Emily said to Paige as they took their seats in a corner seat.

"Sometimes I come here just to be around it," Paige said inhaling deeply.

"Let me know the next time you go," Emily laughed.

The two decided to split the pasta supreme and an order of garlic bread. They fell into simple conversation about the race tomorrow until their food arrived.

"So how was your coffee date with Shana?" Emily asked as she picked at her pasta.

"So much better than I thought! Now that she's done with her project, hopefully everything will go back to normal. We're going to the movies tomorrow after the race."

"Wow, that's great Paige," Emily said ignoring the unsettling feeling growing in her stomach.

"Yeah," Paige said. After her coffee date she had been trying to suppress the amount of focus she had on Emily, after all her and Emily are just friends. That's the way it had to be. Paige hoped that the feeling would eventually pass, but in the meantime she need to focus her attention on Shana.

"Well we should probably get back," Emily said looking at her watch. I was almost nine o'clock and they had to be up at four for their meet in upstate New York. Paige paid the bill, with Emily next to her protesting to split it.

Emily didn't get much sleep that night. She tossed and turned mostly. She was awake way before her alarm went off. The lack of sleep would effect her performance tomorrow, but she couldn't turn off her mind. So many thoughts were racing through her mind, Paige, Shana, her first ever race, school, college, Paige.

Eventually around three o'clock she gave up sleeping and grabbed her swim bag and headed to the pool. She threw her bag on the bleachers before rolling up her pants and sitting at the edge of the pool. She let the water circle around her calves as she rested her back against the cold concrete. So many thoughts were swarming through her mind it was hard to find a moment of rest. Emily was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear the back door of the pool open.

"Em?" Emily heard her name called from the darkness.

"Who's there?" Emily asked shakily.

"I guess you have first race jitters too," Paige said as she appeared from the darkness.

"Paige, I didn't think anyone would be here," Emily said relaxing a little.

"I come here before every race to calm my mind," Paige said taking a seat next to Emily.

"So you nervous?"

"A little."

"You're going to do great! Have you seen yourself during practice, you're basically perfect. You're gonna smoke ass!" Paige encouraged. Emily felt Paige's arm wrap around her shoulder and pull her close. All of Emily's nerves suddenly vanished and all she would think about was how great Paige smell, how her body tingled where Paige's skin touched her, how soft her skin was, how perfect Paige was.

Emily didn't know how much time had paced, but soon other teammates started showing up. The two of them gathered their things and joined the rest of the team. Coach Fulton showed a few minutes later and took attendance before loading everyone onto the bus.

There were enough seats for each swimmer to get a row of seats to themselves. Emily and Paige took the last two in the back of the bus. The drive to upstate New York was a few hours away, so they had plenty of time to kill. The team was planning on spending the weekend in upstate New York, but plans fell through so they were doing a there and back trip.

A teammate, Sydney, brought her collection of movies that kept the team entertained for most of the trip. Emily moved over to sit next to Paige so that she could see the screen better.

Paige sat quietly doing her homework next to Emily. She let herself crack a smile when she heard Emily laugh or make a snarky comment at the movie. After the second movie finished, Emily grabbed her laptop and started working on a paper.

"Em, you should get some sleep," Paige whispered quietly.

"I could say the same for you," Emily remarked back with a laugh.

"True," Paige said putting her things away and grabbing her mini pillow. "Here."

"What about you?"

"I'm use to this," Paige said snuggling into the corner of the seat.

"Thanks," Emily said taking the pillow from Paige. She placed in behind her head and leaned her chair back. A few minutes later she heard quiet snoring coming from Paige who had curled herself in the corner. Emily's lips cracked into a soft smile. She grabbed her phone and took a quick picture before leaning against Paige's shoulder. Sleep soon took over her body.

Paige felt the jolt of the bus underneath her. She quickly shook the grogginess from her eyes and glanced over to her left. Emily was sweetly sleeping on her shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and there was a perfect soft smile on her sleeping face.

Paige desperately wanted to let this continue, but the numbness in her back was starting to become extremely uncomfortable. She gently tried to shift herself so that she could straighten her back. The small movement rustled Emily, who opened her eyes a few seconds later.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep on you," she said blushing furiously. Paige loved it when Emily blushed.

"I didn't even notice," Paige said smiling back.

Emily sat up and returned the pillow to Paige before shaking herself awake.

"Feeling better?" Paige asked.

"Much, I definitely needed that," she said giving Paige a small smile.

They sat in quiet silence to the rest of the ride. They pulled up into parking lot about thirty minutes later. The team grabbed their gear and headed into the vacant locker room.

They still had a few hours until the meet started, but Coach liked to warm up the team with a slight two-mile jog. She'd pair new swimmers with veteran swimmers. Emily was paired with a sophomore named, Sara who was transfer from Pittsburgh. Paige was paired with Sydney, who was also a sophomore.

Emily and Sara decided to take an easy jog, enough that they could carry on a conversation. They found a small path off the side of the school that went into the wood. Sarah tracked how far they were going on her phone, while Emily played the music on hers.

"So is this your first time swimming in high school?" Emily asked Sara.

"Yeah, I mainly just swam on club teams, so it'll be a little different. I'm just got a few jitters going."

"I feel that. This is my first race on this team, so I don't have a lot of experience either."

"So what made you come to Rosewood Prep?" Sara asked as they rounded the corner.

"My dad's in the army, but he's getting transferred close to Philly, and my parents have always wanted to live in Philly, so it sort of just happened. One day they just said, "Emily we're moving to Philly and you're going to Rosewood Prep."

"Oh wow. That must have been tough."

"Yeah, it was, you know, it being spur of the moment. I guess leaving everything to suddenly really took a hit, but I have to admit Rosewood is a lot better than I pictured."

"Haha, that's exactly what I said," Sara laughed. "My parents thought that I would get a better education here than in Pittsburgh."

Emily and Sara finished up their run in good time. Most of the team hadn't returned yet. They did a quick set of stretches, before Paige and Sydney rounded the corner.

"Hey!" Paige said excitedly when she caught sight of Emily stretching her hamstrings.

"Hey, how was you're run?" Emily asked straightening up.

"Good, we just did a loop around a lake," Sydney responded.

The rest of the team appeared within the next ten minutes. Coach Fulton came out of carrying a bucket of snacks. The race was going to start in a hour, but most of us had been running on empty stomachs and eat a little something will help everything get up and go.

Everyone quickly changed into our uniforms before heading out to the pool. The stands were almost fully when we started our warm-ups.

"Gather in everyone," Paige said motioning for everyone to get in a circle. "Today is only the start of a great, and amazing season. You guys have been the strongest team that I've ever seen. Now I want you to go out there and push you're hardest. I want you leaving this pool knowing that you gave it your all. Today is about you, how you perform, how you feel, listen to your breathing, calm your mind. Focus on you and nothing else. Don't worry about the person next to you, they don't matter, all that matters is you. Now get out there and show them what you're made of!"

The buzzer sounded and Emily felt her body launch into the water. The cooling sensation touching every inch of her body, her breaths quickly evened out and she had full control of her body. This was her last event before the relays. She had placed first in both of her heats and second overall in her events.

The listened to what Paige had told them to do, to focus on themselves. She focused on her muscles; they were loose, and warmed-up. She made sure not to push her body too much; she wanted to save her energy for the relays, but she pushed what she thought was her hardest for the single events.

She felt her hand press against the wall and her head come up for air. She had come in first for the 800m also. Emily's eyes scanned her team, before they landed on Paige, who had this brilliant smile on her face and was clapping and screaming like a maniac. Emily let a soft smile appear on her lips before pulling herself out of the water.

"Awesome job Em," she heard her teammates shout.

There was a small break in between the sprint events and the relay events. Everyone quickly filed into the locker room to do whatever they had to do. Paige started doing some warm-ups in the corner, before putting on headphones to get in the zone. Emily admired her from a distance. Her body was completely relaxed and her mind calmed.

Paige watched as Emily mounted the board for their final relay of the meet, the 4x4. Paige admired how graceful everything Emily did. She body cut through the water perfectly with every stroke.

Emily's feet pushed off the wall for her last length of the race. The last few races where starting to wear on her body, it was becoming a struggle to find her breath. The fatigue was growing in her arms. She took a quick glance from left to right. There was a swimming coming up right behind her on the left, less than an arms length away.

Emily gave her last push up energy and felt her hand slam up against the wall. The ripples from the next swimmer hit her face as she surfaces. She took in a few deep breaths trying to control her breathing. A hand reached out in front of her and pulled her out of the water.

She lay on her back, took her goggles and cap off, and just breathed for a few. Paige let go of her hand and knelt down beside her.

"Deep breaths Em," she said trying to control Emily's breathing. Paige placed a hand on Emily's chest trying to get her to breath normally. This only complicated things because Emily's mind was going wild with Paige's touch.

"Paige, I'm fine," Emily said sitting up. She breathing had somewhat returned and she was able to stand up.

"Okay, just take a seat, have some what," Paige said handing Emily some snacks and a bottle of water.

"Paige, relax, I'm fine. You've still got a leg to swim," Emily motioned to the racing that was still going on.

Paige gave Emily one more look before turning towards the platform and taking her stance. She positioned her goggles over her eyes and grabbed the edge of the board. Emily watched as she took three deep breaths before launching herself off the platform.

Emily gawked at the perfection of Paige's form as she cut through the water. It looked so easy for her arms to just cut through the water. Her body was relaxed and her breaths seemed to be at ease. Emily wanted to hold that body, to love that body, to touch that body, everything about Paige, Emily wanted.

Paige felt her body become one with the water as she felt it surround her. This was where she belonged, where she could be whoever, whatever, she wanted to be. She felt her arms slice through the water with so much ease, and her legs kick powerfully with stroke she took.

But there was one thing on Paige mind, Emily. Ever since she pulled Emily out of the water, she couldn't get her out of her mind. She tried to clear she mind, but Emily remained there. Her brilliant smile, and dazzling body, but then Shana appeared. Shana. Shana. Shana. No, Emily. Shana. Paige kicked hard trying to shake the image of Emily out of her mind.

She felt her legs push with as much power as she had. This is was last leg and she wanted to make sure that she hit that wall first.

It was as if Emily was watching Paige swim in slow motion, watching every move she made. She watched as Paige faltered when taking a stroke, but she quickly recovered and push herself hard off the wall.

The stands were erupting with cheering, mainly for the other team, but Paige already had made a body's length distance between her and the nearest swimmer. This was what Paige was good at, a comeback.

Paige's hand hit the wall, and the screaming was deafening from her teammates as they pulled her out of the water and wrapped their arms around her, screaming with excitement.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, so I've had this chapter ready go for a while now, but I've been so busy with my other stuff and life that I forgot to upload this chapter. I'm so sorry, but I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and thank you for being awesome readers and supports!:)**

 **Chapter 5**

Emily turned onto her side. She hadn't been able to sleep; in fact, she hadn't had a full night of sleep in the past week. She glanced at the empty space next to her before rolling back over.

"Em," she heard a soft whisper. She lifted her head up over her shoulder and stared at the entrance of their room. Hanna was standing in the doorway holding her bags. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us? It's not too late."

Hanna had decided to tag along with Spencer and Aria to NYC for the weekend. Emily had thought about going, but with the race coming up she didn't want to do anything stupid that would jeopardize that.

"Thanks Han, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, have fun!" she replied with a smile.

"Alright, call us if you need anything, and I mean _anything,_ " she said putting an emphasis on "anything".

"All right, Hanna," Emily said laughing.

Emily watched as Hanna closed the room. She waited until she saw Hanna leave the building before she rolled out of bed. She took a quick shower before changing into a pair of sweats.

She grabbed a few of her books before heading down to the dining hall. It was usually empty on a Saturday morning. Emily always made an attempt to get there early and get some work done.

She grabbed a quick cup of coffee and some cereal before taking a seat near the windows. The sky had quickly turned grey and there were low rumbles in the distance. Emily found her eyes drifting off the pages of the textbook to the grey clouds in the distance.

"Productive much?" she heard a voice ask. She quickly turned to find Paige standing in front of her.

"Paige, hey! I was just trying to get some work done before the big meet," she said moving her stuff around so Paige could take a seat.

"Yeah, I should probably be doing that…but…Netflix and my bed sound like a much better option," she laughed.

"Agreed! So what have you been up to lately?" Emily asked. She hadn't seen Paige much over the past few weeks. School had actually started to pick up a lot and tests and finals were getting closer and closer. The only time she really saw Paige was during practice, and even then they didn't have a lot of time to talk.

"Homeworking, you know, trying to graduate and balance my personal life with school and swim," Paige said waving her fork around in the air.

"How are things with Shana?" Emily asked, internally cringing when she said her name.

"Things are great! We're actually going out tonight," Paige said as a smile appeared on her lips. "I thought that things would have been tough to repair, but it's actually better."

"That's great Paige, I'm so happy for you," Emily said placing her hand over Paige's.

"Thanks, Em." Paige said, resting her hand on top of Emily's. Emily felt of surge of energy rush through her hand where Paige's rested. "Since we don't have practice today, are you doing anything?"

"Well if homework hasn't killed me, then no," Emily said piling her books into her bag.

"Alright, well if you haven't died, we should do something. I miss hanging out together," she said finishing her coffee.

"Yeah, let me know!" Emily smiled.

"Great!"

Paige watched as Emily walked away from the dining hall. She watched her until she was no longer in sight. She missed spending time with Emily. Ever since the first swim meet, she hadn't seen much of Emily. Emily probably came over once or twice after that, but their schedules didn't match up as much as before. This was the first time that Paige had sat down and actually talked to Emily in a good month and half.

She missed the way that Emily made her laugh, in fact, she wasn't sure if she had laughed as hard as she did with Emily. Sure she laughed with Shana, but she and Emily had this connection that she couldn't explain. It was something different, something new and exciting that Paige craved for more and more.

She finished her second cup of coffee before leaving. The light was fading from the sky, when the rain started to fall. She picked up the pace and pulled her jacket over her head. The rain started to come down harder and harder it was becoming hard to see.

Emily's dorm was straight ahead so Paige made a mad dash to the doors. She pulled open the door and rushed in. Her body was frozen from the ice-cold rain. Her phone miraculously still work. She punched in Emily's number and waited for her to pick up the phone.

"Do you miss me already?"

"Yes, now are you going to let me in?"

"Yeah, the door should be open," Emily, replied before hanging up.

Paige made her way through the door that Emily had had unlocked. Paige wasn't exactly sure what room was Emily's once she got to her floor. She roamed around the halls until she found a familiar poster hanging outside one of the doors. It was the same poster Hanna had hung up in her room with they roomed together sophomore year. She knocked twice. There was a rustle of a chair before the door opened.

"Paige! Oh my god, you soaking wet," Emily said taking one look at the girl in front of her.

"I guess that rain caught up with me," Paige chuckled.

"Come in," Emily said pulling Paige inside. "Here, hold on."

Emily quickly rummaged through her drawers before throwing a set of clothes at Paige and pushing her towards the bathroom. "The shower's in there, if you want to take one to warm up a bit. God, you feel like an ice cube," Emily said taking Paige's wet jacket and hanging it up. "Go, take a hot shower, then we can hang out."

Paige sighed and made her way to the bathroom. She liked the set up of Emily and Hanna's room. It was much more spacious than the one they shared last year. She quickly pulled off her wet clothes and hopped under the steaming water.

By the time Paige had hopped out of the shower, Emily was sprawled on the floor absorbed in her books.

"Hey thanks," Paige said kneeling down next to Emily. "I guess I underestimated how much it was going to rain."

"Yeah anytime. You're welcome to stay here as long as you want. I think we have mostly the same classes. You can use my textbooks if you want to do some work."

"Yeah, I've been swimming in homework lately," Paige sighed as she took a seat next to Emily.

"Here," Emily said handing Paige some paper and a pencil.

The girls sat quietly during their homework for a few hours, with Emily's music playing lightly in the background. Every so often Emily found her eyes drifting towards Paige. She focuses on the way Paige's damp hair hung loosely around her face, the way she stuck her tongue out a little when she was trying to concentrate, the way she tapped her pencil on Emily's textbook when she began to zone out.

Everything about Paige made Emily fall more and more in love with her, but then she had to stop herself because Paige was with Shana. That she had to remember. She couldn't get involved with that; she knew better, but everything about Paige got her.

Paige's fingers tapped against the end of the book. She had been trying to solve the algorithm for the past twenty minutes. She left out a frustrated sign before tossing the book aside. Emily's eyes glanced up at her in confusion.

"Sorry, I think my brain has had about enough homework for a day," Paige said rubbing her temples. They had been working on homework for a majority of the rainy afternoon. Paige had actually completed almost all of her homework.

"Food break?" Emily suggested. Paige nodded quickly.

Emily pushed herself off the floor and waltzed over to her refrigerator and cabinet where most of her food was stored.

"Take you pick?" she said offering a selection to Paige.

"Wow, I didn't think it was physically possible to store this much food in one area," Paige laughed as she got up to get a closer look at the closet.

They grabbed a few snacks before returning to their spots on the floor. It was only half past three, but it felt as if Emily had only seen Paige for half that. Time with Paige seemed to go by so slow, yet so fast.

The rain was finally starting to let up at six o'clock. Paige desperately wanted to invited Emily to get dinner with her, but she already had plans with Shana in two hours.

"Hey, thanks for letting me stay here," Paige said wrapping her arms around Emily and giving her a tight hug.

"Any time, Hanna went to New York for the weekend, so I'm basically here by myself if you're ever bored or lonely or just want to hang," Emily said hesitantly.

"I'll keep that in mind," Paige said gathering her things. "Get some rest before the big meet tomorrow."

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?" Emily laughed.

"We'll, as Captain, I think I have the authority," Paige joked.

"I'll see you tomorrow El Captain," Emily said giving Paige a salute.

Paige heard a loud knocking at the front door. She tired to ignore it but the knocking got louder and louder.

"Paige, who the hell is knocking?" Shana asked, pulling the blankets over her head.

"I don't know," Paige said, crawling out of bed.

Paige blindly found her way to the front door. The light blinded her when she ripped the door open. She found Emily standing in her doorway mid-knock.

"Emily? Wh-what are you doing here?" Paige asked, blindly.

"It's almost four. Syd said she hadn't seen you since you left last night. We need to be at the pool in fifteen minutes, remember?" Emily asked, looking at Paige in a questioning manner.

"Oh, shit! Fuck! Okay, give me five minutes."

Emily took a seat on the couch as Paige raced to her room. She heard muffled voices, one was Paige, and Emily assumed that the other one had to be Shana. Paige came out a few minutes later carrying all of her things.

"Sorry, you ready?" Paige asked.

"Yeah."

The two raced over to the pool, just in time to beat Coach Fulton. The team filed onto the bus a few minutes later. Paige took a seat next to Emily. She quickly changed into her warm-ups.

"I forgot breakfast..." Paige said, looking through her bag.

"Here, I have extra," Emily said, handing Paige some of her food.

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver."

"So you have a good night?" Emily asked. Paige almost dropped everything she was holding. Her cheeks started blushing furiously. Emily sat back and enjoyed the embarrassed Paige. "That's what I thought."

"Okay, okay, you got me," Paige said, putting her hands up defensively.

"Well, I'm glad you two have 'worked' things out," Emily said, lying through her teeth. Emily's heart burned and ached. She put on a fake smile as she listened to Paige tell her about her night. She was happy that Paige was happy, but she wished that Paige would be happy with someone else…her.

"Alright ladies, thirty-minute jog, then meet back here," Coach said, as we filed off the bus.

"Emily, a word..." Coach called.

"Go, I'll see you later," Paige said, joining Sydney.

"What's up coach? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, of course! I have good news for you," she said handing me a couple of envelopes.

"What are these?"

"It seems that you and Paige are the most desirable swimmers from the Mid-Atlantic region. A lot of people want you."

Emily flips through the envelopes, UC Berkeley, Florida, Stanford, Michigan, UPenn, and UNC.

"This…this is incredible," Emily said, excitedly. "Wow!"

"You've worked hard for this," Coach Fulton said, patting Emily on the back. "Now I want you to show me everything you've got today."

"I won't let you down!"

Emily stuff the letters in her bag before starting her warm-up jog. Her heart was racing with excitement. She had her pick of colleges right in front of her, now all she had to do was choose which one she wanted to go to.

Emily made her way back to the bus when her thirty minutes were up. The rest of the team was already stretching and eating some snacks. Emily took a seat next to Paige and started to stretch.

"Everything okay with Coach?" Paige asked.

"Yeah," Emily said, smiling. "Everything's perfect."

"Good! Ready to kick some ass?"

"More than ready!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 12th Annual Pennsylvania State Championships. Teams from around the state are competing against the reining champions the Rosewood Sharks! The events will begin momentarily," the announcer shouted through his microphone.

"We've worked so hard for this moment girls! We have a trophy with our name waiting for us. Push until you can't anymore, push until you know that that is all you have. I want you to push yourself past your breaking point because only then can we be great. I want you to go out there today, knowing that you did more then your best. Sharks on three!" Paige shouted. "One…two…three!"

"SHARKS!"

The team broke formation and readied themselves for their events. Emily positioned herself on the board, gripping the metal edges. She inhaled deeply, eyes focused on the water.

The sound of the gunshot rang throughout the natatorium. Emily's body launched off the platform and into the water. Her body cut smoothly through the water. Emily feet pushed off the wall for her final lap. Paige held her breath as she watched Emily fly down the lane.

"Push Emily!" Emily heard Paige shout as she turned for air. It gave her the power to push herself past her breaking point.

Her hand slammed against the water and she felt the water splash behind her as the Sydney drove into the water.

"Great work Em! I think you just broke a record!" Paige said, wrapping Emily's jacket around her.

"I think I might beat yours," Emily said smoothly.

"Not a chance," Paige smirked.

"Get out there and prove me wrong."

Paige got out there and proved Emily wrong. In every one of Paige's events she either broke a record, or made a new personal record. No one could wipe the smile off of Paige's face that day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter! Let me know that you think.**

 **Chapter 6**

"So, what are you going to do now that the season's over?" Emily asked, taking a seat next to Paige.

"I usually train with my club for the winter. You?"

"My parents found a club in my town that want me to swim for them."

"Philly Quakers?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"We compete against them during the winter and summer."

"Let me guess, you swim in California…?"

"Berkeley Heat."

"Well, I guess I'll look forward to kicking your ass."

"I guess so," Paige laughed. "So, now that your life isn't consume by waking up early, what are you doing?"

"For one, sleeping…a lot, and Hanna's been taking me to all these house parties later."

"Oh, I remember those," Paige laughed as she flipped through her textbook.

"Oh!"

"Nope, no stories for you," Paige said holding up her book.

"Oh, come on Paige, please. One story," Emily said, tugging on Paige's arm.

"Haha, you're not going to get one that easy," Paige said withholding.

"You're no fun," Emily said, pouting.

"Just be warned, Hanna has a high tolerance," Paige said, before getting up and grabbing material for the lab.

"Hanna, did Paige ever party with you?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, back in sophomore year," Hanna said, putting on her make-up. "She's a wild one."

"Really?" Emily asked. She couldn't picture Paige to be a 'wild child'.

"Oh yes! That girl knows how to party," Hanna said, pulling up some pictures on her phone. "Hey, you should invite her, I haven't partied with her in a while."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Of course! Everyone must experience _the_ Wild Paige McCullers!"

 **Emily: Hey what r u doing rn?**

 **Paige: laying in bed wishing I had some of your mom's delicious cookies**

 **Emily: would u want to come to a party tonite?**

 **Paige: that sounds great, but I have a date with Shana tonite.**

 **Emily: I guess I'll have to wait to see** ** _the_** **Wild Paige McCullers.**

 **Paige: You might have to wait a while.**

 **Emily: I've got plenty of time**

"So, is Paige coming?" Hanna asked.

"No, she's going on a date with Shana," Emily said deflated.

"So what's with you and Paige?" Hanna asked skeptically.

"What? Nothing's up with Paige and I."

"Are you sure, because I sense that there is definitely something up."

"And what do you think is up?"

"There's chemistry between you two, everyone can see if. The only thing stopping you two is Shana."

"Okay, first of all Hanna, Paige and Shana just getting back together, therefore, Paige and I, it's not going to happen."

"Oh come on, I can see the way Paige looks at you. It's obvious she likes you."

"Hanna!"

"Whatever, let's go!" Hanna said, tossing me a bottle of tequila.

Hanna and Emily met up with Aria an hour before the party to pregame. Paige wasn't kidding, Hanna knew how to hold her alcohol. The bottle of tequila was gone within the hour, most of it was consumed by Hanna.

"How much does it take to get her buzzed?" Emily asked.

"I wish I knew. I'm usually gone by the time she's buzzed," Aria slurred.

"Come on guys! Hurry up!" Hanna shouted. She was a good ten feet in front of them. Aria was holding on to Emily as they walked towards to the house party.

Emily was surprised to see that a majority of Rosewood Prep was there. Most of the swim team was there, now that the season was over. Hanna wandered off into the crowd and returned with three drinks.

"Hanna a-are you even drunk?!" Aria asked.

"Nope, but you two obviously are," Hanna said, putting the drink in their hands. "Oop! I see my man. I'll catch you two later."

"She always does this. She brings you to the party, then Caleb shows up and…bye bye," Aria said, drunkenly. "I don't even like punch."

"Let's get something we both like," Emily said, making her way over to the drink table. Emily made herself a drink with things that look like they would taste good.

"Have you ever made a drink before?" Emily heard someone ask. When she turned around, Shana was standing behind her, holding her drink. She momentarily froze. Paige was supposed to be on a date with Shana, but Shana was here…so is Paige here?

"I guess I haven't."

"Here, let me," Shana said, pouring this and that into Emily's cup. "Try it."

"Wow, that's good," Emily said, taking a sip.

"Good! Some people hate it," Shana laughed. "You're in my math class, I think. Emily, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm surprised my ears haven't fallen off."

"Key is, put earbuds in, and your golden."

"Oh, I'll have to try that. So you're new here, right?"

"Yeah, I move here this year."

"Oh yeah! You're on the swim team with Paige, right?"

"Yeah. You're dating Paige, right?"

"Yeah," she said, somewhat deflated.

"I thought she'd be here, seeing as our season is over," Emily said, trying to make an excuse.

"Something came up," Shana said, taking a sip of her drink. "Something always comes up."

"I'm sure it'll work out."

"Yeah. Well, I'll see you around Em," she said, glancing at Emily one more time before disappearing into the crowd.

"Was that Shana?" Aria asked.

"Yeah."

"What did she want?"

"She made just made me a drink."

"Emily, I was gay, and I made a stranger like you a drink, there are only a few explanations. One, she's trying to get on your good side because she wants something. Two, she's trying to create a friendship with you because of Paige. And three, she's hitting on you."

"I highly doubt that any of those are possible."

"Whatever you say, just watch out."

Emily and Aria found themselves spending most of her time with the swim team, doing shots, playing stupid games, and just talking. Emily found of that Paige hasn't partied with the team since sophomore year.

"Aria, come on, one more shot, one more!" Emily chanted. Aria threw back the shot. It burned going down, but a warm and fuzzy feeling replaced it.

"Wow, Aria, never thought you were the one to throw them back," Sydney said, taking a seat next to them.

"Neither did I. I'm surprised it hasn't gotten to me yet," Aria slurred.

"Oh, in about ten minutes, it's going to hit you soon," Sydney laughed.

"Ooohhh, too late, where's the bathroom," Aria said getting off the couch quickly.

Emily rushed Aria to the bathroom. Within minutes the alcohol was coming back up again.

"I guess I lost count of the number of drinks," Aria said, leaning against the bathroom wall.

"We both did," Emily said, rubbing Aria's back.

"Is there somewhere where I can lay down for a few?"

"Yeah, I think there's a bedroom around the corner," Emily said, pulling Aria off the ground.

Emily tried to remember which rooms were bedrooms. Emily found an open room, but before Aria could make her way into the room, Emily wiped her around and closed the door.

"Emilyyyyy," Aria whined.

"We're leaving," Emily said, pushing around to move faster.

"Emillyy what's wrong?"

"I'm taking you back to your room."

"EMILY!" Emily heard someone shout her name. Shana came running down the stairs, pulling her shirt on. Emily tried to ignore her, but Shana caught up with them.

"Emily, wait."

"Why should I?" Emily asked, furiously.

"Look, what you saw…"

"Oh I know exactly what I saw. I saw you and Jenna!"

"Okay, it was a slip up. We're both wasted. It just happened."

"Really, because you seem pretty sober right now."

"Everyone makes mistake Emily. I'm sure you've made some that you're not proud of."

"I have, but never with someone else," Emily shouted. She grabbed Aria and pulled her out of the house.

"Emillyyy, what's going on?" Aria asked, holding onto Emily.

"Nothing, let's get you home." Emily let out a frustrated sigh.

"I don't feel so good," Aria said, leaning over.

"Oohhh, okay," Emily said, pulling Aria aside.

It took Emily half an hour to get Aria back to her room. Aria passed out immediately. Emily stayed awake to make sure that Aria kept breathing. The sun was coming up with Emily fell out of the chair she was sitting in.

"Em? Em?" Aria asked, shaking Emily.

"Huh? What?" Emily asked, sleepily.

"Have you been up all night?"

"Someone had to make sure you kept breathing," Emily said, sitting up. "Where's Spencer?"

"She went home for the weekend."

"Gotcha…"

"Ugh, I need to shower," Aria said.

"You don't smell too great."

"I could say the same for you," Aria said, looking at Emily.

"Alright, go shower!"

"I'd like to but Hanna's has the room until further notice."

"Oh, I see. Okay, here," Aria said, tossing a change of clothes at Emily. "There's a shower across hall."

"How can they be out of coffee?" Emily said, pushing the lever down repeatedly. "The one thing I need!"

"I'm gonna find someone to get us coffee. You go find a seat."

Emily found two seats next to the window. Aria came over shortly carrying two cups of steaming hot coffee.

"Ah, you're the best."

"So what happened last night?" Aria asked.

"You don't remember?"

"I don't know about you, but I think I had way to much to drink last night. The last thing I remember was Shana making you a drink, and then there's a few spots here and there."

"What do you remember?"

"Throwing up in the gross toilet, and then you dragging me out of the party in a hurry, so what happened?"

"Nothing. You drank way too much, and I couldn't move you two steps without you wanting to throw up," Emily lied.

"Did I really drink that much?"

"You were throwing them back like candy."

"Alright no more partying with Hanna for a while," Aria said, rubbing her temples. "Oh speak of the devil itself."

Hanna appeared at the entrance of the dining hall with Caleb. They had smiles plastered on their faces.

"Hey guys, how was your night?" Hanna asked, taking a seat next to Emily.

"Rough…" Aria groaned.

"Aria, you look like death."

"Thanks…"

"Well, I'm gonna get some coffee. You guys want anything?"

"Yeah, another coffee," Aria said, waving her empty cup in the air.

Hanna poured two cups of hot coffee, before filling up a plate of food.

"Hanna, hey," Paige said, coming up next to her.

"Paige! Hey! Wow, how are you?"

"Doing well, you?"

"Doing well."

"How was your date with Shana?" Hanna asked.

"Uh, it was good! We just stayed in and watched a movie," Paige lied.

"Aw, well you should have come last night. Emily was a wild child!"

"Hahaha, I would have liked to see that! Maybe next time."

"Yeah maybe. So what are you up to today?" Hanna asked, realizing the subject was making Paige unconformable.

"Not much, gonna swim a couple of laps, then I don't know what."

"Well, you should come by if you have nothing to do. I miss our sophomore year shenanigans."

"That was a great year!" Paige laughed.

"Are you here with anyone?"

"Nope."

"Come sit with us!"

Paige grabbed a plate of food and followed Hanna to their table. Aria had her head resting on the table, and Emily was gazing out the window.

"Look how I found!"

"Hanna, would lower your voice…please!" Aria said, waving her hands in the air. "Paige, hey!"

Emily's head whipped around when she heard Paige's name. She felt a surge of sadness come over her. Paige looked so happy to see Emily yet Emily felt like she was being shattered into pieces.

"Hey Em," Paige said, taking a seat across from her.

"Hey," Emily forced out. "Hey Han, are you done with the room."

"Yeah, why?"

"I forgot, it's my dad's birthday," Emily lied. "I'm suppose to call him."

"Yeah, go for it."

"Cool, thanks," Emily said making her way quickly out of the dining hall.

"Is everything alright with Emily?" Paige asked, her eyes following Emily.

"Yeah. I think it's just the hangover talking," Hanna said, dismissing the situation.

"Yeah, must be…"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Emily found herself floating in the water, looking at the water's reflection on the ceiling. She felt like she was being torn apart. She wanted to tell Paige what she saw, but she didn't want to ruin a relationship that Paige had worked so hard it. Emily knew that Shana would try and find some way to keep her and Paige's relationship together.

A wave of water washed over Emily's face, causing her to lose balance. When Emily resurface, the pool was smooth.

"I thought I'd find you here," Emily heard a voice.

"Shana, what are you doing here?"

"Emily, about last night?"

"I saw enough."

"And like I said, it was a mistake!"

"Really? You just happen to land in bed with Jenna, who I remember didn't have a drink."

"Emily, you didn't see everything." Emily sensed the hesitation in Shana's voice. The hesitation was enough to give her reason to believe that Shana wasn't telling the truth.

"And like I said, I saw enough to put two and two together! I also saw enough to know that this wasn't the first time!"

"Look, we all make mistakes, just because you don't have someone that loves you, doesn't mean that you can go around and ruin it for other people."

"Do you even love Paige?!"

"That's not even the point!"

"Of course it's the point Shana! Paige loves you more than you can imagine and you're just running around behind her! Is that love?! Because it sure as hell doesn't look like it!"

"You don't know, and you better stand down before you hurt Paige!"

"Hurt Paige! I'm not the one sneaking around with Jenna! I'm the friend that cares about Paige!"

"Yeah, right! I see the way you look at Paige! You're all buddy buddy with her!"

"I know where lines are drawn! Obviously you don't!"

"I don't go around screw up people relationships."

"You're such a hypocrite! Do you even hear yourself?"

"Back off Emily, or you'll lose Paige."

Paige was on her way to the locker room when she heard raised voices. The followed the shouting all the way to the pool. When Paige looked through the window she saw Emily floating in the water, shouting at someone on the other side.

Shana came into view with Paige enter the pool.

"Wooh, is everything okay?" Paige asked, approaching the two cautiously.

"Yeah, everything fine!" Emily said angrily. She forced herself out of the water, before making her way over to the locker room.

"What was that about?" Paige asked, approaching Shana.

"Nothing. It was just about something that happened at the party?"

"Is Emily okay?" Paige asked, grazing at the locker room doors.

"I don't know. I just came to give her back something she left at the party and she just felt out at me," Shana said defensively.

"It's okay babe, I'm not mad, just worried. You're okay though?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay."

"Let's go to the movies. I need something to take my mind off of that," Shana said, wrapping her arms around Paige.

"Okay," Paige said, planting a kiss on Shana's lips.

The next two weeks flew by for Emily, Thanksgiving came quicker than she thought. She devoted herself to her work, and partied hard with Hanna. She did anything to get her mind off of Paige. Emily tried to limit her contact with Paige, but they were still paired as chemistry partners. She spent most of her time bottling up her anger when she was in class with Shana. By the end of the day, Emily's energy was exhausted.

"Are you going back to Texas to visit your dad?" Hanna asked, packing her bags.

"Nope, I'm going to our house in Philly. I didn't make sense to fly down for only a few days."

"True, well, if you want my family's hosting this big Thanksgiving dinner. You and your mom are welcome to join.'

"I might take you up on that!"

"Please, my mom and her boyfriend always cook way too much food and then I'm forced to eat leftovers for three days."

"Well, I'll let you know!"

"Alright! Aria and Spencer are coming too."

"Great yeah, I'm sure I can convince my mom."

"Cool, here's my address," Hanna said, writing her address on a slip of paper. "I'll see you Thursday."

"Yeah, see ya Thursday," Emily said, waving goodbye to Hanna.

Emily started packing the rest of her things. They only had a few days off, but then it was only two weeks until winter break. There was a soft knock on the door.

"Hey," Paige said, standing in the doorway. "Hanna let me in."

"Hey," Emily said, focusing her attention on her bag.

"Heading home?"

"Yeah, spending it with my mom in Philly. Are you going back to California?"

"No…I'm staying with Shana. It didn't really make sense for me to go all the way to come all the way back."

"I guess not."

"Are you okay? You seem off lately."

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just be a long week."

"Look, I don't know what happen between you and Shana, but I'm sorry. I know that whatever happened it made you upset."

"It was just a misunderstanding."

"Was it?"

"Paige…"

"Sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. I just want to know that you're okay." Paige said

"I'm okay."

"Okay…Have a good break Em," Paige said, backing out of the room.

"Okay" was the only word that Emily could think of. She watched as Paige left the room, her bowed in sadness.

"Paige!" Emily called out. She made her way to the entrance to find Paige standing in the hall waiting for her. "Have a good break."

"I will," Paige said softly, smiling slightly.


	7. Chapter 7

**HEY GUYS! Next chapter is up! I hope you're enjoying this story. It's been a long journey writing two stories at once but you guys are awesome. I've been working on both of my stories at the same time and it's been hard to switch back and forth because of the different styles of writing. Anyways, let me know what you think of this chapter and if you have any questions or concerns or any ideas that you would like to pose, I'm all ears! THANKS FOR BEING AWESOME.**

 **Chapter 7**

The break had gone by faster than Emily would have liked. Thanksgiving the Fields had gone to Hanna's for Thanksgiving. Emily's mom enjoyed the company of the other parents and they struck up an instant relationship. Emily only had a couple of hours before she had to go back to school. Emily's family had a tradition where they would decorate for Christmas, so that when her dad came home it looked like Christmas.

"Hey mom, ready?" Emily asked, grabbing her bags.

"Yeah, let me just grab my keys."

"I'll be in the car."

The ride to Rosewood was a little less than an hour and a half.

"Mom, can I ask you for advice?" Emily asked, playing with her fingers.

"You can always ask me. What's on your mind?"

"Say, hypothetically speaking, you like this girl, but that girl is in a relationship with this other girl. One night you decide to go to a party and you walk in on your crush's girlfriend with someone else, who isn't your crush. From what you know, you know that this isn't the first something like this has happen. And then the next day you get in an argument with your crush's girlfriend and she tells you to back off or you'll lose her. What do you do?"

"Well hypothetically speaking, I would tell her."

"But, what if you lose her?"

"Don't you wish that someone told you about Maya?"

"What?"

"Don't you wish that someone spared you that pain you went through?"

"Yeah…I do."

"Then tell her, spare her that pain."

"And if I lose her?"

"It either comes out the way you want it, or it doesn't. Just be prepared."

"Thanks Mom…" Emily said, looking out the window.

"Be careful Emmy," Pam said, pulling up next to Emily's door.

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too."

The sun had already set when Emily entered her room. Hanna was already sprawled out on her bed, waiting for Emily to return.

"Ah, Em! Hey! Finally, you're here I missed you! Let's get some dinner!" Hanna shouted as she jumped off the bed.

"Hanna, you saw me yesterday," Emily laughed, pulling Hanna into a hug. "I'm starving."

"Aria said that she would met up there."

"And Spencer?"

"She's coming back tomorrow morning. She said she had some family thing tonight."

"Okay great, can I just put a few things away?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hanna said, hopping back on her bed. Emily quickly put away her clean clothes and unpacked the rest of her things, before Hanna dragged her to the dining hall.

"Hey Aria," Emily taking a seat next to Aria.

"Em, hey! Where's Hanna?"

"Um, she's talking to some people over there," Emily said pointing at a group of people.

"So, have any fun plans for Christmas?"

"My mom and I are flying down to Texas to visit my dad for a few days, then swimming."

"Oh that will be fun!"

"What about you?"

"My family and I are going to London to visit family."

"London…you're going to have so much fun!"

"I'll be sure to get you something."

"Hey guys! I guess what…." Hanna said, taking a seat next to them.

"What?"

"There's a party Saturday night, you guys in?"

"I don't know," Emily said, backing away from the subject.

"Come on, it's a good way to decompress before finals start," Hanna protested.

"Where is it?" Aria asked.

"Same house."

"Maybe, ask me in a day or two and maybe I'll say yes."

"Yes! Em?"

"I don't know maybe…"

"Okay, you're coming then," Hanna said, answering for Emily. "Come on it'll be fun, and plus Caleb's out of town on Saturday so you'll have me all to yourself."

"Fine…" Emily said, giving into Hanna.

The days flew buy for Emily. The only time she saw Paige was during their chemistry class, but even then, they spoke very little, but Paige's words were kind when she spoke.

Emily found herself standing in front of her mirror, wearing one of Hanna's scandalous outfits.

"Hanna are you sure about this?" Emily said, pulling at the hem of the dress.

"Yeah! You're making my jaw drop and I'm straight."

"Hanna!"

"What! Just saying!"

"Where's Aria?"

"She's on her way up."

Aria appeared shortly after, and like usually the bottle that Aria and brought was consumed mostly by Hanna. Spencer showed up with another bottle, which was also consumed mostly by Hanna.

"Alright, you're buying the next couple of bottle," Spencer said, holding up the two empty bottles.

"Yeah, yeah, come let's go!"

Soon enough, Emily, Spencer, and Aria found themselves surrounded by most of the Rosewood Prep community. The music boomed throughout the house, and people danced like maniacs.

"Is that Shana?" Emily heard Paige whisper.

Emily glanced around the room before finally spotting Shana. She was making her way towards the drink table. Emily watched as Shana poured herself a drink before she started talking to the people around her. She watched as Shana went upstairs.

"Em, hey, you okay?" Spencer asked shaking Emily from her trance.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, I just spaced out for a minute," Emily said, focusing her attention on the stairs. She watched Jenna climb the stairs and go in the same direction Shana did.

"Em?"

"I gotta go," Emily said, pushing her way towards the door.

"Em, wait, where are you going?" Spencer shouted trying to follow Emily.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Emily said, catching her breath.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Come on, sit down," Spencer said, grabbing a hold of Emily.

"I can't, I just need to get out of here"

"Here, I can walk you back."

"No it's okay. I don't want to ruin your night. Go, have fun. I just need to be alone."

"Em, it's no problem."

"Really, Spencer. I'll be find. I can see my dorm from here. You can watch me if you want.

"Just text me when you get back, okay?"

"Okay."

Emily watched Spencer go back into the house, before she made her way across the green. Everything in her body ached and burned. She felt the hot tears stream down her face. Emily made she way back to her dorm, but found it cold, dark, and unwelcoming.

Paige skipped through the next few scenes in the movie that she was watching. The rest of her suitemates were out, so she blasted her movie as loud as she wanted. She almost didn't hear the pounding at her door.

When Paige went to open the door, she found Emily standing in front of her. Her make-up was smeared, and she looked like she was freezing.

"Em! What happened? Are you okay?" Paige said, pulling Emily into her room. "You look like an ice cube. Come here." Paige wrapped Emily in a blanket, before looking through her drawers. "Here, put these on."

Paige waited outside the door, while Emily changed into the extra pair of sweats Paige had given her. When she was done, she opened the door and found Paige leaning against the opposite wall.

"Emily, what happened?" Paige asked, coming into the room.

"I don't now…I was at a party, and I just didn't know where else to come."

"Did someone hurt you?"

"Can we just maybe lay down and watch a movie. I don't want to talk about it. Not now at least."

"Yeah…yeah of course," Paige said, offering her bed to Emily.

"What do you want to watch?"

"Whatever your watching right now," Emily said, laying down on the bed.

"Okay. Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm okay, thanks."

"Okay," Paige said, laying down next to Emily. She pressed play, and the two watched in silence.

Paige glanced over at Emily every once and a while. Emily's eyes were fixed on the movie, but she wasn't there. Her mind was somewhere else. Paige watched Emily closely. When the credits started rolling it was well past two in the morning. Emily was quietly sleeping in the crook of Paige's shoulder, her arm rest softly against Paige's stomach.

Paige grabbed the remote a turned the TV off. She pulled the blankets over them. Her eyes were fixed on Emily, studying every detail of her. A line glistened off of Emily's face. When Paige went to wipe it away, she realized it was a tear.

Emily felt the sun warm her face. When went to move her arm when it got caught on something. When she opened her eyes, she found Paige softly sleeping next to her. Her arm was wrapped around Paige's side.

It took a moment for Emily to realize what was going on, but when she did, she tried to untangle herself from Paige. Emily jolted Paige awake in the process. Both girls tried to grasp the reality of what was before them. Emily clambered out of bed, as Paige backed away from Emily.

Emily looked down and realized that the clothes she was wearing weren't hers, they were Paige's. She looked around the room and saw her clothes were thrown in a pile on the ground. She wrapped her brains, trying to remember the events of the night, but she consumed a lot of alcohol. Some images were blurry.

"Emily…" Paige said, approaching Emily slowly. Emily put her hands up to signal Paige to stop. "Nothing happened, I promised."

"How did I get here?"

"You came here from the party," Paige said, taking a step towards Emily. The images of the night slowly started to flood her memories. She remembered seeing Jenna follow Shana upstairs.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Emily said running to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. This time Emily became sick to her stomach.

"Emily!" Paige shouted, banging on the bathroom door. "Are you okay? Open the door…please, Em."

"Paige…go away please…" Emily groaned.

Paige could hear Emily from the other side of the door, and it made her heart ache. She grabbed water, and crackers before returning to the door. She left them outside the door and returned to her room. She waited until she heard the bathroom door unlock. Emily came into her room a few seconds later. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She took a seat at the end of Paige's bed.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable this morning," Paige said, kneeling next to Emily.

"It's okay…"

"Emily, what's going on? You've been so distance and I don't know why. Have I done something?"

"No, Paige, you haven't done anything," Emily said, reassuring Paige.

"Then what? What's wrong? What's going on?"

Emily felt the tears start to flow down her face. She remembered what she mother said, "spare her the pain…tell her."

"Hey, it's okay," Paige said, wiping the tears away. "It's okay."

"No, it's not…" Emily said, taking a deep breath.

"What do you mean?"

"There's something that I need to tell you, but I don't know if I can."

"Emily, you can tell me anything. You know that," Paige said, looking into Emily's eyes.

"That's exactly why I'm afraid. If I tell you, everything's going to change."

"What could possibly change?"

"Everything…" Emily said. Paige sensed the sadness in her voice.

"Emily, just tell me.'

"You need to break up with Shana," Emily blurted out. She watched the expression on Paige's face change instantly. There was a darkened glow in Paige's eyes.

"Why would I do that?" Paige asked angrily, backing away from Emily.

"Because Shana doesn't love you," Emily said, standing up. "I don't think she's ever loved you."

"How could say that?! You don't know anything about my relationship with Shana! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yes I do," Emily said softly. "I know because it happened to me."

"Are you saying that Shana's cheating on me?" Paige asked, grabbing Emily's arms tightly. "Emily, answer me! Who?"

"…Jenna…"

"That's impossible. Jenna's straight."

"I know what I saw Paige! What I saw that them!"

"Emily, just stop!" Paige said, leaving her room angrily.

"Look, this isn't fun for me either! I've been through this, and no one said anything to me. Do you know how much it hurt when I found out for myself? I wish that someone told me! So that's what I'm doing. I'm tell you."

"Emily, stop comparing this to your relationship with Maya! Just because your relationship went to shit, doesn't mean have to shit on mine! You were drunk! You don't know what you saw," Paige said, trying to deny the truth.

"Paige, open your eyes. I'm telling you the truth. Are you going to take Shana's word over mine?!"

"Yeah, because I know her," Paige said angrily.

"No…you don't…"

"Get out," Paige said, pointing towards the door.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that I'm lying."

"Just leave Emily," Paige said avoiding eye contact with Emily.

"I'm sorry Paige," Emily said quietly, before shutting the door behind her.

Emily felts the tears starting to flow down her cheeks. She left Paige broken, but Paige left her shattered. She found her phone and hit speed dial.

"Emmy? What's wrong?"

"I lost her mom…I lost her," Emily sobbed through the phone.


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry guys this chapter is a little short. It's a little bit of a filler, but I hope that you enjoy! Let me know what you think! ~stay awesome~

 **Chapter 8**

Paige felt like she was drowning. Every time she would try and come up for air, she was pushed back down. She tried to ignore the fact that Emily might be right.

The next week, went by painfully slow for the two them. They saw each other when they went to take their chemistry, exam, but after that it was only in passing. Emily didn't call or text Paige. She gave Paige the space she knew she needed.

Paige found herself standing outside Emily's door. When she knocked her hoped that it would be Hanna who answered. Sure enough, Hanna opened the door.

"Paige, what are you doing here?" Hanna asked surprised.

"Is Emily here?"

"NO, she finished her exams early. She left for Texas this morning. Why?"

"I need help," Paige said, bowing her head.

"Is everything okay?" Hanna asked, worried. Paige was surprised that Hanna didn't know. Emily must not have told anyone.

"I don't know…"

"Come in," Hanna said, closing the door behind them. "So what's going on?"

"If your boyfriend was cheating on you…would you want to know?"

"What?"

"Would you want to know?"

"Yeah, I'd want to know," Hanna said, taking a seat next to Paige. "Paige what's going on?"

"Saturday night, Emily came over, and she told me that Shana was cheating on me…with Jenna."

"Okay…and what happened?"

"I said a lot of things that I shouldn't have. I-I just, I didn't want to believe it, and now, I don't know what to believe."

"Have you talked to Shana?"

"No, I don't really want to know."

"I know that it's hard to accept the truth, but the more you resist the more you hurt yourself and others around you."

"I've already hurt Emily. She won't even talk to me," Paige said, holding back the tears.

"Emily's strong. She knew what she was doing when she told you, even if it meant losing you."

"I don't want to lose her," Paige said truthfully.

"Look Paige, Emily told me about her break-up with Maya, and it was really hard on her. I would want someone to tell me, inside of going through what she went. You show something different in Shana than we did. What was it?"

"Loneliness…after Patrick's accident, I was so lonely, and Shana was there. I guess things just sparked. I always tried to see the good in Shana, and I would just push the bad away."

"At one point in this relationship, Shana loved you, very much, but sometimes, things just don't work out. And maybe it's for the best that they don't work out."

"I'm afraid to be alone again…" Paige said quietly. "I guess…that's why I'm hoping that none of this is real."

"I'm sorry Paige," Hanna said, pulling Paige closer to her. "But look around you, you've got so many people who care about you. We'll always be here."

"The only person that didn't make me feel like I was drowning won't even talk to me," Paige said, looking at Emily's empty bed.

"If there's one thing that I've learned about Emily, it's that she forgives, and she'll forgive you."

"I'm not sure about this time," Paige said, sadly.

"She'll forgive you, trust me, but you gotta decide which truth you want to believe, yours or Emily's."

Paige waited for Shana outside of her classroom. It was the last day of exams. Most of the students had already finished their exams and had gone home. Paige had a flight to California, the next morning.

When the bell rang, students started filing out of the classroom. Paige peeked into the classroom and saw Jenna sitting on Shana's desk. Paige couldn't make out what they were talking about, but Jenna was a little too close for Paige's liking.

When the two got up, Paige swiftly position herself, so it would like Paige was walking towards Shana's classroom.

"Paige, what are you doing here?" Shana asked, surprised.

"I thought that since we're both done with exams, we could get something to eat."

"I'll see you later," she said giving Jenna a hug. "So where to?"

"Italian?"

"Wonderful!"

Paige paid close attention to everything that Shana did that night. The listened to the way that Shana talked. She watched the way that Shana moved. She paid attention to Shana's reaction when she tried to be affectionate. Shana would pull away slightly whenever Paige tried to kiss her.

After dinner Paige took Shana back to her place. She tried everything that she could think of to get Shana to slip. It took a while before Paige finally sensed that Shana wasn't having it.

"Are you okay?" Paige asked.

"Yeah, I need to go," Shana said pulling her shirt on. "I have a lot of packing to do."

"You still have all of tomorrow," Paige said, throwing on a shirt.

"I know, I just have a lot to do," Shana said, checking her phone.

"How long?" Paige asked, taking a deep breath.

"What?" Shana asked confused. "How long what?"

"How long have you been cheating on me, with Jenna?" Paige watched carefully to see how Shana responded.

"Paige, why would you think that?"

"I have eyes Shana. It's not hard to see."

"Emily told you…didn't she?"

"That's why you two were arguing, wasn't it?"

"Paige, it's not what it looks like…"

"Really…because it looks crystal clear to me," Paige said, backing away from Shana.

"It was a mistake, a one-time thing."

"That's not I hear."

"Paige, it won't happen again…I promise…"

"I know you're not going to keep that promise. All I want to know is why? Was it so bad you had to go find someone else to fuck?"

"No, no, Paige you did everything right. I-I just, I needed more…more than one person could give."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because when we first met, we were both struggling. And you, you were stronger than me. You didn't need anyone else, I did."

"And you think that Jenna can give you this help?" Paige questioned, angrily.

"Look, I'm not proud of what I did, but you're not the only on in this relationship. Please, just give me a chance," Shana pleaded.

"No…you've broken everything in this relationship."

"Paige...please…"

"You went behind me back Shana! You've not only ruined this relationship, but you've lost my trust."

"I know, and you don't know how sorry I am."

"No, I don't, and I don't think I want to," Paige said, motioning to the door.

"I'm sorry Paige, and just for the record, I did love you, more than you know," Shana said, before closing the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**HEY GUYS! I know last chapter was a little depressing, but don't worry Paige gets her head screwed on right this chapter. Let me know what you guys thinks! thanks for being awesome fans and readers! LOVE YOU!**

 **Chapter 9**

The days had become routine ever since Emily got back from Texas. She flew back two weeks before her mom did, so she had the house to herself for a week, but she barely spent any time at home. In the morning she would wake up and swim until the early evening, then go to work at a café near her house, before coming home and going straight to bed. Emily usually went to Rosewood for the weekends and visited the girls.

It was the last week of break, when Emily was woken up by her mother. It was her one day were she didn't have to swim or work.

"Emmy, you need to get up," Pam said, shaking Emily.

"What….is dad okay?" Emily asked, quickly.

"Your father's fine. There's someone here to see you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, they're outside on the porch when your ready."

"Okay, let me just change."

"Okay.

Emily threw on a pair of sweats, before throwing her hair into a messy bun. She double checked herself in the morning for making her way downstairs. Her mom was busy in the kitchen, making blueberry pancakes. Emily opened the front door and made her way out to the porch. Paige was sitting on the porch swing, looking out at the front yard.

"Paige what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in California?" Emily asked, surprised to see Paige.

"You were right," Paige said, focusing on the snow covered lawn.

"You came all this way to tell me that?" Emily asked, taking a seat next to Paige.

"I said a lot of things to you that I'm not proud of. I figured it's best to apologize in person," Paige said, focusing her attention on Emily. A small smile appeared on Emily's lips.

"I forgave you a long time ago. I just gave you the space you need to figure everything out."

"You did?"

"Of course I did. Paige, you had your shitty relationship, everyone deserves to be forgive after that."

"Did you forgive Maya?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Why?"

"My mom always told me that forgive is the first step to move on and to accept."

"Your mom seems very wise."

"She can conjure up bullshit that sounds amazing sometimes," Emily laughed.

"Do you think we can start off on a clean slate?" Paige asked cautiously.

"I'd like that," Emily said, plugging Paige into a hug.

"Thank you Em."

"Are you hungry? My mom's making blueberry pancakes," Emily offered.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. She always makes extra," Emily said, grabbing Paige's hands and pulling her inside. Paige was memorized by the coziness of the Field's house.

"Mom, there's someone I want you to meet," Emily said, pulling Paige into the kitchen. "Mom, this is Paige."

"Paige, it's good to finally met you."

"It's good to met you too Mrs. Field. I must say you make amazing chocolate chip cookies."

"Well I make sure to send you home with some, and please call me Pam."

"Thank you…Pam."

"Mom, is it okay if Paige stays for breakfast?"

"Of course! It should be ready in half an hour."

"Okay, thanks," Emily said.

Paige followed Emily to her room upstairs. Although it was much smaller than her own, Paige found it warm and cozy.

"What? You have a window seat," Paige said, excitedly.

"Yeah, my dad put it in just after we moved," Emily said, taking seating. "So how's California?"

"Good, I guess…"

"Have you been swimming?"

"Yeah, every day, well I guess not today…"

"Are you going back before school?"

"No, I'm staying with Hanna for the rest of the week," Paige said, playing with her thumbs.

"Well, if you get tired of Hanna, you're welcome to stay here."

"I'll make sure to keep that in mind," Paige laughed.

"Sometimes Hanna can be a little much…"

"More like most of the times…hey what are these?" Paige asked, looking at the letters that were resting on the window sill.

"Letters for swimming," Emily said, handing them to Paige.

"Wow, Em, this is incredible!" Paige said, looking at all the colleges. There had to have been at least fifteen. "Have you thought about any of them?"

"Yeah, a few…UC Berkeley, uh, UPenn, and Stanford."

"Stanford…maybe I'll end up being your teammate."

"You're going to Stanford?"

"Yeah, offered me a full-ride, and my parents and broth—," Paige stopped mid-sentence. "Um, yeah it just kind of worked out."

"Paige, that's great!" Emily said happily, trying to ignore the fact that Paige almost let something slip.

"Girls, breakfast is ready!" Pam called from the stairs.

"You're gonna die when you taste these pancakes," Emily said, pulling Paige downstairs.

Paige ate five of Pam's blueberry pancakes before she felt like she would burst.

"I think I might explode," Paige said, patting her stomach happily.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed them," Pam said, clearing the table.

"They were delicious!"

"So Emily tell me you two swim together," Pam said, refilling the coffee cups.

"Yeah. Em's an excellent swimmer."

"Yeah, one day I'll beat you."

"Not a chance," Paige said crossing her arms.

"So, have you thought about colleges?"

"Yeah, I'm actually swimming at Stanford in the fall."

"Stanford, that's far."

"I'm originally from California. My family's still out there, so it just worked out, I guess."

"That's wonderful Paige. Stanford's a lovely school. Emily's cousin went there and love it."

"I'm excited, but I'll miss Rosewood, and Philly," Paige said, looking at Emily

"Well, we're only a plane ride away," Pam smiled, before leaving the two alone.

"I think I'm slipping into a food coma," Paige said, yawning.

"You look exhausted."

"Yeah, I caught a red eye this morning from California, and Hanna picked me up at the airport."

"How about we watch a movie or something and let the food babies rest."

"I think my food baby would like that," Paige said, pulling herself out of the chair.

Paige crawled into Paige's bed, and curled herself into a tiny ball on the left side. Emily flipped through a couple of movies before sliding one into the disk drive.

"You know you can spread out, right?" Emily said, pointing to the rest of the queen bed.

"Right…" Paige said, uncurling herself.

"Do you want a blanket or anything?"

"Yeah, sure."

Emily grabbed a blanket from under her window seat. She threw it over the both of them, causing Paige to move closer to her.

"What are we watching?" Paige asked, yawning.

"Something that might put you to sleep," Emily said quietly.

"Sleep…sleep is good," Paige said, pulling the blanket closer to her.

Paige's breathing evened out, half way through the movie. She had wrapped herself tightly in the blankets. Emily turned the TV off, before slowly climbing out of bed. She closed her door behind her, before heading downstairs.

"Hey Emmy," Pam said from the living room.

"Hey mom."

"How's Paige?"

"I think her food baby got to her. She's upstairs sleeping."

"Good. It looked like she hadn't slept in days."

"Yeah, she took a red eye from California."

"So…is this _the_ girl?"

"What?" Emily asked, a little surprised. "What girl?"

"Em, I'm your mother. I have eyes. I can see," Pam said, motioning to her eyes.

"Yeah, she's the girl…" Emily admitted.

"So what happened?"

"I told her the truth…and then we fought…"

"…And she flew hundreds of miles to tell you she's sorry…"

"Yeah…I guess so…"

"Emily, if I didn't know better, I would think that she likes you."

"What? No, we're just friends, plus she just broke up with her girlfriend."

"If you say so…" Pam said, returning to her newspaper. "I like Paige, by the way. She's funny, kind, and very pretty."

"Yeah, she is…" Emily said, looking towards her room.

"I'm make lasagna tonight, if Paige would like to stay."

"Okay…," Emily said, heading back up to her room.

Emily took a seat on the window seat, looked through all the college letters. She grabbed her computer and did another round of research. By the time she'd finished the sun was starting to set again.

"I didn't know it was possible for someone to squint that much," Emily heard Paige say.

"Paige, your up," Emily said, shutting her laptop.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said rubbing her eyes.

"No, it's okay," Emily said, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

"What time is it?"

"Almost 5 o'clock," Emily said, glancing at her clock.

"Five?! Like Five at night?"

"Yeah…"

"You should have woken me up…I feel terrible. I'm sorry Em."

"Paige, it's okay, really. Don't worry about it. So…"

"So…"

"Are you hungry?"

"Will I end up with another food baby?"

"Most likely," Emily smiled. "My mom's making lasagna."

"Well that sounds lovely," Paige said, getting up and stretching. "You know if your mom feeds me anymore…I'll end up with a permanent food baby and stretch marks."

"By at least you'd look good with them."

"Okay, Em. Whatever you say," Paige laughing. "So, I thinking…if your thinking about going to school in California, you're welcome to stay with me…only if you want."

"Yeah, I'd like that a lot."

"Great! You're gonna love California, trust me!"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Well you seem like a beach and sunshine type of person."

"I guess there's one thing you know about her."

"Oh, that's cold Em, cold," Paige said, pretending play hurt."

"Come on, big baby. Let's get you some dinner."

"Big baby, really? That's all you got," Paige said, following Emily downstairs.

Emily abruptly stopped halfway down the stairs, causing Paige to slam into her. Paige heard Emily laugh silently as she continued to down the stairs, leaving Paige sitting on the stairs.

"I underestimated you Emily," Paige said, lifting herself off the steps.

"Yes, you did," Emily smiled. "Hurry up, or your food's going to be cold."

Paige enjoyed a nice meal with Emily and her mother. She learned a lot about Emily and her family. Emily's father had been in the army since college, and Pam was a financial worker for a bank in Philly.

"Dinner was wonderful Pam, and so I was breakfast."

"Thank you Paige. You're welcome here whenever you like."

"I will definitely take you up on that offer," Paige smiled. "Well, I should probably get going, Hanna will kill me if I'm not back for 'movie night'."

"Well, it was great to see you," Emily said, walking Paige to the door. "Paige…it meant a lot that you came her in person, and I'm sorry for what happened between you and Shana."

"I'm sorry too, but I could tell something was wrong. I just needed a kick in the ass for me to actually do something about it. I guess I owe that kick to you."

"So what happened?" Hanna asked.

"She forgave me," Paige smiled.

"See, I told you. Emily's a very forgiving person," Hanna said, passing the popcorn to Paige.

"Yeah, but there's something else…"

"And what would that be?"

"Emily…"

"Okay what about Emily?'

"I don't know…she…whenever I'm around her…I just feel so relaxed, like I can be myself. It's so easy to talk to her. Time just slows down when I'm with her…I don't know how to explain it."

"I do…it's called love Paige. I think you're in love with Emily."

"What? No…we're just friends…" Paige said quietly. "…just friends…"

"Sometimes it starts out that way, but eventually it blossoms into something beautiful. Just think about Paige, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Now, quiet, the movie's starting."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys the next chapter is here! Thanks for being such awesome readers and fan, you guys have no idea how much all of this means to me! let me know that y'all think!**

 **Chapter 10**

Emily glanced around her room when we got back from break. It was just the way that she left it. Her books were stacked neatly next to her fridge, and her photos still hung on the wall.

"Hey Em, everything okay?" Hanna asked, coming in behind Emily.

"Yeah, the room just feels…I don't know…different."

"I might have moved a few things around…sorry."

"What no, no. I didn't mean it in that way. The room just feels different, like its missing something or I don't know."

"I know what you mean…the room feels empty in a way?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm sure we'll figure it out…or you'll figure it out…or something."

"Yeah…" Emily said quietly, looking around the room.

"Come on, the girls are meeting at the Brew in an hour," Hanna said, pulling Emily out of the room.

Paige felt her phone vibrate in her pocket just as she entered her room. She took a look at the name, before shoving the phone back into her pocket. She wasn't ready to hear what Shana had to say, fearing that Shana might say just the right words.

She thought about what Hanna had told her. She wondered if maybe Emily had been the one she was looking for all these months. At first Paige looked at their relationship as a friendship, but when she hung out what Emily, it was something completely different. Everything about Emily made her heart skip a beat, made her skin tingle, and her wonder if she was actually falling in love with Emily.

"Hey Paige, what do you think about Chinese takeout?" Sydney asked, walking into Paige's room.

"Ah, Chinese sounds so good right now!"

"I was thinking about inviting some teammates over if that's cool."

"Yeah of course," Paige said, unpacking her clothes. Sydney punched in the order before returning her attention to Paige.

"Awesome! So how was your break?"

"It was pretty good."

"I'm sure you enjoyed those rays of California sun this week."

"Actually I was in Rosewood this week."

"Really? I thought one would want to get as much warmth as they could before coming back to the North Pole."

"There was something important that I need to take care of before school started."

"Ah, and would this something have to do with a girl?" Sydney questioned. Paige stopped what she was doing instantly. She felt her face become warm as she started blushing. "Ah, I knew it! So who's the lucky girl?"

"What? No it's not like that. I just needed to apologize to Emily. We fought before break and well, you know why, and I just didn't want to come back to school on bad terms."

"Oh come on Paige…really?"

"What?"

"What time of person flies thousands of miles to tell a person their sorry, when you could have easily just called her or skyped or something."

"I felt like it should have been done in person."

"Uh huh…sure…you did…"

"Syd!"

"Just saying…I think you've got a little crush on Emily."

"…and what if I do?" Paige asked, defeated.

"Do you like Emily?"

"I don't know," Paige said, taking a seat on her bed.

"Well, tell me a little bit about Emily. What is it about her that you enjoy? Or love? What makes her, her? Describe her to me."

"I don't even know where to begin. I guess since I first met her, I knew that there was something special about her, something that I couldn't really put a finger too. I guess I was too caught up in my relationship with Shana to realize that I actually missed spending time with Emily. Whenever I'm with her…I feel different…lighter, and I feel like I can be my stupid, funny self, like I don't have to hide anything."

"What is it about Emily that makes you want her?"

"Her…she's perfect, humble, thoughtful, kind, there are so many words to describe her. Sometime I wonder what would happen if I woke up and she wasn't there, like she didn't exist. And then I realize that if Emily didn't exist, I don't think I could go on…" Paige said, quiet. "I know if sounds stupid."

"No Paige it doesn't. You obviously have strong feelings for Emily," Sydney said, placing an arm around Paige's shoulder. "Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and take the first step."

"But what if I mess up?"

"Then you mess up, but if you love Emily as much as I think you do, then there's no way that you'll mess up?

"But what if Emily doesn't feel the same way?"

"Trust me Paige, she feels the same way."

"How do you know?"

"I obviously have better eyes than the both of you. Just trust me on this one, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Now, get up and put a smile on that face Emily should be here soon."

"What, Emily…here…?"

"Oh sorry, I meant to say Chinese food," Sydney said getting on the bed with a mischievous smile on her face.

Paige felt a rush of nervousness flow through her body. Emily was coming over, and Sydney wanted her to make a move. She suddenly felt anxious about everything. She hopped in the shower, and took the fastest shower of her life, before frantically trying to find something to wear. Most of her clothes weren't unpacked so she ended up throwing everything out her bag to find a pair of decent jeans and a shirt.

She had just finished drying her hair when there was a knock at the door. Paige held her breath as she listened to Sydney open the door. She let the breath out when she heard it was the delivery man.

"Paige, the Chinese is here," Sydney called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'll be right out."

Paige quickly put a light layer of make-up on before heading out to the living room area. Sydney was already pulling out several plates and a few pairs of silverware.

"I got that," Paige said, taking the bag of food from her. Just as she took the bag, she heard another knock at the door.

When Sydney opened the door, a few of the teammates stood in the doorway, along with them was Emily.

Emily glanced around the room, as Sydney opened the door wider. The last time she was in here was when she and Paige fought. She felt a wave of sadness wash over her, but it was soon replaced with happiness when she caught sight of Paige organizing the food.

"Hey, everyone! Welcome to our humble abode. Please come in, the food just got here."

Emily filed in with the rest of the girls. They took off their coats and put them on the couch before hovering around the kitchen.

"Dig in, there's plenty," Paige said moving away from the boxes of food. The girls slowly started serving themselves, before taking a seat in the living room.

Emily took a seat on one of the empty couches, and by the time Paige grabbed her food, the only place left to sit was next to Emily.

Paige took a deep breath, before sitting next down next to Emily. She gave her a small smile. They ate their food in silence, and listened to the rest of the group talk about their winter break. Emily would chime in every once and a while, but all Paige could do was admire Emily in silence.

"So, anyone up for a late night swim?" Sydney asked, holding up the keys to the pool.

"Where did you get those?" Kelsey, another teammate asked.

"I have my ways," Sydney said, swinging the keys around. "Meet up at the pool in like an hour?"

They group gathered their things and left the apartment. Emily was the last to leave, but Paige knew that she would see in an hour.

"So, I see you didn't say anything to Emily," Sydney said, cleaning up the food.

"I panicked…I don't know. I was just afraid that I would say the wrong thing."

"Paige…I repeat…I have eyes. I saw the way that Emily was looking at you. She obviously has feelings for you. She couldn't take her eyes off of you. Every movement you made, her attention was focused on you. If you're nervous, maybe play with the middle card and see where you stand. Sound good?"

"Yeah…thanks Syd. I probably seem like a desperate person."

"No course not! You're my friend, it's what friends do. Besides, I'm just gonna say this, and you can hate me or slap me or whatever, but I never like Shana," Sydney said quickly, waiting for Paige to react.

"Yeah. I guess everyone else saw it before I did."

"You find the good in people Paige. Not a lot of people can do that. That's what makes you so special. Now tonight, you're not going to ignore Emily. You're going to talk to her. Okay?"

"Okay!"

Paige was on edge for the next hour. She kept running different conversations thought her mind, trying to gauge which would be the one she used tonight.

"Paige, stop overthinking it," Sydney said on their way over to the pool. "Just be you. That's the one Emily likes."

"I know, I know," Paige said, taking a few deep breaths. She's never been this nervous in her life. She didn't want to screw things up with Emily, but she also wanted to be with Emily.

They arrived at the pool before the rest of the group. Sydney waited outside, while Paige turned on the lights and got everything running. They showed up a few minutes later, ready for a good time.

Emily found herself outside of the pool. She saw Paige splashing water around, laughing. Her heart fluttered a little, something about Paige's contagious smile made her heart skip a beat.

She pulled open the pool entrance and made her way in. She quickly removed her clothing before diving into the cold water. She emerged from the water next to Paige.

"Hey," Emily said softly, wiping the water from her face.

"Hey," Paige said kindly. "I'm glad that you could make it tonight."

"Yeah me too! It feels like forever since I've been in water."

"I know what you mean, but hey, no competition right?"

"With you Paige, there's always competition," Emily smirked, before diving under the water.

Paige managed to catch up with Emily and grab her around the waist before pulling to her to the surface. Their faces where only inches apart from each other, and Paige's arms were tightly wrapped around Emily's. Emily glanced around at Paige's hands, that were now grasping her waist. Paige must have noticed Emily staring because she removed her hands quickly.

"Sorry," she said avoiding eye contact with Emily.

"It's okay," Emily said warmly, turning Paige's head so that they could make contact. "Really."

They continued to goof off with the rest of the group, but Paige attempted to keep some distance between her and Emily. It was almost midnight when the group decided to get out of the pool.

Paige found herself next to Emily in the locker room. It wasn't like they had seen each other before, but for Paige it was uncomfortable to look at Emily in that way. She loved Emily's body, but it felt wrong to look at her, to scared.

Paige quickly changed out of her swimwear and threw on a pair of sweats before turning around. Emily wasn't behind her anymore. She glanced quickly around the locker room, and caught a quick glimpse of Emily leaving. She was mentally rapping her thinking of what to do. In the end Paige found herself running out after Emily.

Emily heard the pattering of feet behind her, and when she turned around her saw Paige running after her. She slowed her pace until Paige had caught up with her. Paige's breath was ragged and it looked like she had full on sprinted from the locker room.

"Paige, are you okay?" Emily asked, checking to see if Paige was indeed okay.

"Yeah…just give me a minute…" Paige said, catching her breath.

"What's wrong? You seemed to be in quite the hurry."

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Well, classes start tomorrow, so probably going to class, then pool, then hopefully still be alive."

"Would you wanna get dinner or something tomorrow night?"

"Dinner or something would be great," Emily said, smiling.

"Great!"

"I'll see you tomorrow," Emily said, pulling Paige into a warm hug. Paige could have sworn that when Emily pulled away she placed a small kiss on her cheek.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys get ready! I think that this is the chapter that you all have been waiting for! Please let me know what you think of this! I was trying to make this sort of spontaneous...so I hope you all like it! ENJOY! :)**

 **Chapter 11**

The blaring of the alarm rung throughout Emily's room. She heard Hanna groan loudly before slamming her hand down on the alarm. The ringing stopped, but Emily felt herself drifting back to sleep.

"If I have to get up, you have to get up," Hanna said, pulling the covers off of Emily.

The cold air chilled her body and she felt herself being drawn out of her warm sleep. She heard Hanna get into the shower, before she decided that it was time to get out of bed.

She checked her phone and saw that she had a two new messages from Paige. She spirits were instantly lifted. She remembered the night they share, the way that Paige stumbled over her words, the way they both blushed, everything she remember.

 **Paige: Hey, sorry if this woke you up…if it did, uh just ignore**

 **Paige: But if it didn't…would you want to let me into the building…?**

Emily glanced at when these were sent. It was only a few minutes ago, so she quickly threw on a pair of clothes before running down to the lobby. She found a bundled Paige standing outside the lobby doors.

Paige quickly made her way inside when Emily opened the doors for her. She'd hoped that Emily would come and get her, and if she hadn't…well Emily would have found her in ice-cube form.

"Paige, it's freezing outside. How long have you been waiting?" Emily asked, shutting the door quickly.

"Not long," Paige lied. "I was going to ask if you wanted to get coffee before class. I don't know about you, but I think I'm still asleep inside."

"Yeah, that sounds great," Emily said, heading back towards her room. "Let me just grab my things."

Emily and Paige walked silently back to Emily's room. Paige was slowly beginning to regain feeling in her body. Hanna was just getting out of the shower when the two returned.

"Paige, Jesus, you look like an ice cube?" Hanna said, warmly.

"Thanks Han," Paige laughed.

"Let me just brush my teeth, and grab my things," Emily said, walking into the bathroom.

"So, you two?" Hanna asked.

"I asked if she wanted to go to dinner with me…just testing the waters…I guess."

"Paige, I don't think you need to test the waters…just got for it," Hanna said softly. "I'm going to tell you a little secret here. Emily really likes you."

"Really?"

"Paige, I live with her. She tells me these things. Now, I'm telling you…so you better find a good use for this information, aka, kiss her already."

"Tonight?"

"YES!" Hanna said, raising her voice. It was loud enough for Emily to pop her head out of the bathroom to see if everything was okay. "Paige, you're going to be the one to make the move. Just make sure it's the right moment okay?"

"Okay."

"You ready?" Emily asked, zipping up her coat.

"Yeah. I'll see you later Han," Paige said, waving good-bye to Hanna as they left.

Paige and Emily walked down the small coffee vender that was in one of their lounges. Paige paid for Emily's coffee, and Emily bought a giant muffin for the two of them.

"Awake yet?" Emily asked, after Paige had finished her cup of coffee.

"I don't think it's working," Paige said, yawning and slouching back into the chair.

"Here, take the rest of mine," Emily said, pouring her drink into Paige's cup. "I'm already wide awake."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I know, but you look like you need it more than I do," Emily smiled.

"Thanks."

"So…how was the rest of your night?"

"Good…Syd and I just watched TV until we both fell asleep. You?"

"Showered and passed out as soon as I got back."

"Yeah, I probably should have realized that sleep was more important that watching TV…oh well…"

"Well, how about we stay in tonight?" Emily offered.

"Are you sure? We can go out if you want."

"I'm sure," Emily affirmed. "But, I vote we order Italian."

"As long as there's breadsticks. I'm in."

"And, I'll bring the movies," Emily smiled, "And some dessert."

"What is it?"  
"It's a surprise," Emily giggled.

"Fine Fields…don't tell me, but if it's your mom's cookies…I would love you for the rest of my life."

"I guess I'm just going to have to keep you waiting," Emily said, getting up. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, remember, we still have class together," Paige motioned.

"Yeah, I'll see you later Paige," Emily said, gathering her things before walking away.

Paige watched as Emily slowly walked away from her. She watched the way Emily smiled as someone she knew passed by her. She was such a genuine person. Paige gathered her things and headed to her first class. It felt like hours before Paige saw Emily again. They sat down next to each other in Mr. Hall's class.

"So how are classes so far?" Paige asked, leaning again her chair.

"I would say great, but I don't think I've managed to stay awake in any of my classes," Emily said, jotting a few things down in her notebook.

"I guess you should have taken the rest of that coffee."

"I guess I should have, and I'm planning on taking a long ass nap next in math."

"Well I'm sure the sound of Mr. Harrison will put you right to sleep."

"Haha, right now, I think anything could put me to sleep," Emily said, rubbing her eyes.

They spent the rest of the class learning about equilibrium, which neither of the girls really paid attention to. Emily spent most of the class trying not to fall asleep, while Paige spent most of it planning out how tonight was going to go.

The end of class bell pulled Emily right out of her sleep, it frightened her a little, but she composed herself quickly.

"I guess I'll see you tonight?" Paige asked, putting away her things.

"Of course you will, but I apologize in advance if I end up falling asleep and drooling on your shoulder or something."

"Well at least you're cute when you sleep," Paige said shyly. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah," Emily said taking a deep breath. Emily wondered if Paige actually watches her sleep, because she never pictured herself as a 'cute' sleeper. The thought that Paige actually notices the little things about her, made her heart melt a little more for Paige.

Emily spent the next hour dozing off in Harrison's class. She sat in the back corner, and completely passed out for most of the lecture. She only woke when she heard the end of class bell.

She quickly made her way out of the classroom and back to her dorm. Hanna was already back at the dorm working on homework when Emily opened the door.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," Hanna said, looking up from her homework.

"I think I've done the opposite. I think I slept through all of my class," Emily said, pulling out her books.

"Well, if you want, we can do some homework for a little bit and then hit the gym if you think that might help."

"Yeah, that sounds great," Emily said, sitting down at her desk.

The two of them sat in silence doing their homework. Emily was able to finish all of her homework before her and Hanna went down the gym. Hanna was right, the gym got Emily moving, and instantly she felt more awake than she had been before.

"So do you have any plans tonight?" Hanna asked, jumping onto her bed.

"Yeah, Paige and I are hanging out," Emily said, drying out her hair.

"Hang out, huh?" Hanna said, leading against the bed post. "Then why have you been trying to figure out what to wear for the past twenty minutes?"

"I just want to kind something comfortable to wear," Emily said, grabbing one of her flannels.

"Do you think Paige honestly cares what you wear?" Hanna asked, testing the waters.

"No, but I just don't want to look like a bum."

"Here, where this, this, and put your flannel over this," Hanna said throwing a pair of black leggings, a white tank top, and a beanie towards Emily.

"Are you sure?" Emily asked, looking at the clothes.

"Just trust me on this one," Hanna smirked. She knew what Paige liked. After living with the girl for a year, she knew exactly what Paige liked.

Emily quickly changed into the clothes that Hanna had picked out for her. She did a quick turn for Hanna to make sure that everything looked good.

"Look luck tonight," Hanna laughed.

"Hanna, we're just hanging out and getting some Italian, no biggie," Emily lied. She didn't want Hanna all over this. She wanted to make sure that Paige actually had the same feelings that she did, and she didn't want to tell Hanna because she knew that Hanna would announce it to the whole world.

"Call if you need anything," Hanna said, waving goodbye to Emily as she left.

Snow was falling lightly when Emily made it to the lobby. The walk from her dorm to Paige was only a ten-minute walk, but she felt like an ice cube when she knocked on Paige's dorm.

"It's open," Emily heard Paige shout.

Emily slowly opened the door and the smell of Italian food filled the air. Paige was in the kitchen taking the food out of the brown paper bags.

"It smells amazing," Emily said, taking a deep breath.

"I hope your hungry," Paige laughed.

Emily took off her coat and hung it in the closet before returning the kitchen. She was glad that she didn't overdress for this. Paige was in running legging and a sweatshirt. Her hair was still damp from the shower she must have taken.

"So how was the rest of your day?" Paige asked, handing Emily a plate.

"Well, I took that long nap in math today, and then did some work, went to the gym with Hanna, and now, I'm here…with you."

"Hanna went to the gym?" Paige asked surprised.

"Yeah, apparently, it's a 'new' Hanna thing to do," Emily laughed.

"Well damn," Paige laughed.

They took a seat at the counter and ate their food. They talked for hours before they realized it. Emily glanced down at her watch, it was almost midnight. Hanna would be wondering where she was. She quickly checked her phone to see if Hanna had texted her, but there was nothing.

"It's getting late," Emily said, getting up slowly. "I think I should probably head out."

"Yeah, okay," Paige said, trying to hide the disappointment in her tone.

Emily gathered her things, and met Paige in the doorway. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, before Emily made the first move.

"Thanks for dinner. It was delicious," Emily said, smiling. "I really missed this. Just the two of us…handing out."

"Me too. It's nice," Paige said softly.

"Well, um, I'll see you tomorrow," Emily said shyly. She ducked her head as she left Paige's room.

Paige closed the room behind her and rest her head against it. She was mentally beating herself for not making her move. She should have kissed Emily. She debating running after her and sweeping Emily into her arms. But she knew that Emily would be long gone by now. Paige went back to the kitchen and started to clean up.

Emily tried to shake their awkward goodbye as she walked down the stairs. She debated going back, but thought better of it. When she got down the lobby and opened the door, she found herself staring into a blizzard. The wind was blowing harder and faster, the snow felt like little needles sticking her in her face.

She quickly turned back around and walked back into the Paige's building. She debating on whether or not to call Paige and ask if she could stay, but she knew that Paige was probably still up, so she made her way back up again.

Paige finished washing the dishes when she heard a knock at the door. She figured that it was just Syd knocking because she forgot her keys, but when she opened the door she found Emily standing in front of her.

"Emily, is everything okay?" Paige asked, confused why Emily had returned so quickly.

"Well, I didn't realize that there was going to be a blizzard today," Emily said, rocking back and forth on her toes. "I was wondering if I could stay here until I can actually see where I am going."

"Yeah, of course," Paige said, opening the door wider for Emily.

"Thanks."

"Well, if your up for it, how about a movie?" Paige offered.

"A movie sounds perfect," Emily said softly. She felt her cheeks turn bright red, but she attempted to ignore it.

"Alright, you can pick what we watch,' Paige said, showing her the collection of movies she had.

"So, where are the roomies?"

"Becca and Isabel have a meet and Syd's was out with a few of her friends."

"Oh gotcha," Emily said, returning her attention back to the DVD collection.

"So…" Paige said taking a seat on her bed. "Find anything you want to watch?"

"Well," Emily said, looking at the DVD before handing it to Paige.

"Casablanca," Paige said, reading the title.

"We don't have to watch if you don't want to."

"Emily, it's totally okay. I didn't even know I had this movie," Paige said, putting the disc into the DVD player.

Emily took the left side of the bed and pulled the blanket tight around her body. Paige took the open space next to Emily. She laid on top of the cover and threw an extra blanket over the two of them.

"Think you gonna make it?" Paige asked, noticing that Emily was yawning.

"I hope, but I think I'm starting to fall into a food coma," Emily said, mid yawn. Emily curled up close to Paige, pulling the blankets tightly around them.

Emily tried to fight to stay awake, but Paige was just so warm and soft. She felt her eyelids close, and soon Paige felt Emily's breathing even out.

Paige turned down the volume of the movie, and pulled the blankets up around Emily. Emily was a beauty when she slept. She looked so peaceful and happy. "You wanna know something funny," Paige whispered to a sleeping Emily. "Ever since I met you, I haven't been able to take my eyes off of you. Having you this close to me, it feels like my life is complete. You complete me Emily, and I wished that I'd figured out sooner. I just hope you feel the same way."

Emily stirred slightly underneath Paige's arm. Paige leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on Emily forehead.

"I think I'm in love with you," Emily heard someone whisper. It felt like it was coming from distance, but the voice sounded so familiar. She heard the voice whisper again, "I hope you give me a chance." She felt something warm wrap around her stomach that sent butterflies through every inch of her body.

Emily felt someone stir next to her. When she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by darkness. She glanced out the window to see that the snow was falling heavily still.

When she looked over to see where Paige was, she found Paige's arm wrapped strongly around her waist. She head was rested in the crook of Emily's arms. Her eyes were still shut. Emily gently removed herself from Paige's grasp and slowly got out of bed.

She grabbed her phone and went to the kitchen. She found where Paige kept the coffee and started to brew a pot. When she checked her phone, she found that Hanna had texted her several asking where she was and if she was alright. She sent a quick reply saying that the storm had picked up when she was leaving so she stayed at Paige's.

It was almost ten o'clock when the coffee finished. Emily poured two cups, and added cream and sugars to Paige's before carrying both of them back to the room.

Paige felt a warm hand rest on her shoulder. The smell of coffee filled the air. A wide smile appeared on Paige's face as she inhaled deeply.

"Did you make me coffee?" Paige asked, her voice hoarse from her sleep.

"Of course I did," Emily said, present Paige with steaming cup of hot coffee.

"I'm one lucky person," Paige said sitting up slowly. She held the coffee between her hands and inhaled deeply before taking a sip. "I think this is the best cup of coffee I've ever had."

"Glad to know I can make something right," Emily joked.

"I'm sorry if you've been up for long," Paige said softly. "The movie finished at like 2:00am last night."

"You actually watched the entire movie?" Emily asked, a little surprised.

"Of course I did, it was a good movie," Paige smile.

"Then I guess you'll have to watch it with me again, when I'm actually awake."

"I guess I will," Paige said warmly. Paige glanced out her window to see that it was still snowing pretty heavily. "So…snow day?"

"I guess so," Emily said, glancing out the window again.

"Well then, do you have plans for today?" Paige asked hopefully.

"Well, I don't really want to walk back to my dorm, so I was hoping that I could just stay here. If that's okay?"

"Of course that's okay. Em, you're always welcome here," Paige said, resting a hand on Emily's upper thigh. Emily's mind was spinning out of control. Her skin tingle where Paige's hand rested.

Thanks," Emily said, clearing her throat. "So…breakfast?"

"Breakfast sounds like a great idea, and since you made the coffee how about I make the breakfast," Paige said getting out of bed.

"As long as I can borrow a t-shirt," Emily said pulling at her tank top."

"Yeah of course. They're in the second drawer."

Paige watched as Emily walked over to her dresser and pulled out a shirt. She pulled off her tank top, and tossed it on the floor next to her stuff. Paige's mouth started to water a bit. Emily's body was more than perfect. She skin looked so soft and beauty; all Paige wanted to do was to run her hands down that beautiful back.

Paige took a deep breath and dared herself to do the inevitable. She walked up behind Emily and rested her hands gently on Emily's hip. She heard Emily's breath hitch, but she made no argument about the placement of Paige's hand.

Emily felt Paige's hands run up the length of her back, leaving a trail of goose bumps. Her mind was in overdrive as Paige's hands made their way to her shoulder. She remembered the whispers that she heard last night, and how familiar the voice sounded. It didn't take her long to realize that it was Paige who had whispered those words.

"I think I'm in love with you too," Emily whispered. She felt Paige's hands return to waist, and soon she was being turned around. Her face was inches away from Paige's.

"Then, can I kiss you?" Paige asked softly.

"Yes…" Emily uttered, barely audible.

Emily felt Paige's soft lips press gently against her. It was the softest, gentlest kiss that Emily had every experience, but every inch of her body felt like it was fire. Emily parted her lips slightly, and Paige took that as her signal. She gently slid her tongue into Emily's.

When they pulled apart, all Emily could do was stare in admiration and smile widely.

"Wow…" Paige whispered excitedly.

"Yeah…wow," Emily said smiling widely. "But I think we can do better."

"Really…" Paige said seductively, pulling Emily back towards her.

Emily felt Paige's arms wrap tightly around her as they sat on the couch watching a movie. Emily's tried to focus on the movie, but she was constantly distracted by Paige, who was running her hands up and down Emily's stomach.

"Hm…Paige," Emily said, turning inward. "That feels good."

Paige raked her finger across Emily's ab muscles, relishing in every touch. She rested her chin gently on Emily's shoulder. Emily turned her head slightly and let their lips connect briefly.

"You know if you keep distracting me, we're never going to get through this movie."

"Well," Paige said, kissing Emily's neck softly. "We've got the whole day ahead of us."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Emily said, rolling over to face Paige. "At some point Paige, we're going to have to talk about this."

"Just for today, can we enjoy this without any questions asked?" Paige asked, pleadingly.

"Yeah," Emily said, pulling Paige closer. "I wouldn't mind kissing you again."

"Yeah…?" Paige smiled. "I wouldn't mind kissing you either."


	12. Chapter 12

**Read and Review Please!**

 **Chapter 12**

Emily felt the sunlight warm her face as she rolled over. She felt a warm hand pressed against her stomach as she rolled over. Paige's hand was pressed gently up against Emily's bare skin. It tingled slightly when Paige pulled her hand away and rolled over. Emily instantly missed the touch of Paige against her skin.

Emily glanced at the clock. It was almost 7:30. She quietly climbed out of bed and grabbed her belongings. Emily knelt down next to a sleeping Paige and kissed her gently, before pulling the covers over her.

Emily made it back to her room and found Hanna sitting on her bed waiting for her.

"There you are," Hanna said excitedly, hopping off of Emily's bed. "I was getting worried. I thought that maybe Paige kidnapped you forever."

"Relax Hanna," Emily laughed grabbing few of her things.

"So now that you're back, breakfast?"

"Can I shower first?" Emily asked.

"Emily Fields! Did you and Paige have morning sex!?"

"What! Hanna! GOD, NO!"

"Then why would you want to take a shower in the morning?"

"Hanna I always take a shower in the morning!"

"Whatever you say," Hanna said hopping back onto Emily's bed. "I'm sure it was great."

"Oh my god, sometimes you're unbelievable," Emily said making her way into the shower.

As soon as Emily closed the bathroom door, Hanna pulled out her phone and vigorously typed out a text to Paige.

 **Hanna: What happened? Emily's all giddy and she's got a permanent smile on her face! I want detailed McCullers, don't leave anything out.**

Hanna tapped her phone eagerly against her thigh waiting for Paige to respond. It wasn't until Emily got out of the shower that Hanna finally got a response.

 **Paige: I guess you were right, about everything.**

 **Hanna: Paige that doesn't count! I want details.**

 **Paige: We kissed**

 **Hanna: I'm sure you did much more than kiss…**

 **Paige: HANNA!  
** **Hanna: I'm going to keep bugging you until you tell me everything!**

 **Paige: Fine! Brew after class?**

 **Hanna: You better not flake!**

 **Paige: Hanna you've known me since freshman year!**

"Who do you know that's up this early?" Emily asked, drying her hair with her towel.

"Oh, no I was just responding to an email," Hanna said quickly turning her phone off.

"Sure…you ready to go…I'm starving."

"After a night like that…I'm sure you are."

"Hanna!"

"Whatever," Hanna said grabbing her things and following Emily out of the room.

For the duration of their breakfast together Hanna pried for the details of the days that Emily spent with Paige. She knew that Paige wasn't the type of girl to hook-up with someone on the first day, she just enjoyed seeing Emily squirm and get flustered.

Emily tried to keep her head on during breakfast, but Hanna was driving her crazy with all the questions and implications. She found herself stumbling over her own words and losing her train of thought. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and her spirits were instantly lifted when she saw that it was from Paige.

 **Paige: I missed seeing your beautiful smile this morning**

 **Emily: You looked so peacefully this morning. I didn't want to wake you.**

 **Paige: But what about my good morning kiss?**

Hanna watched as Emily smiled at her phone, she knew that it was Paige who sent her a text. She started typing a back a response when Hanna saw Paige round the corner. Paige put her hands to her lips to signal Hanna not to say anything.

As Emily typed a response to Paige, Paige gently next to Emily and whispered softly into her ear.

"I'll take that good morning kiss now." Emily squealed in surprise, but relaxed when she realized that it was Paige and not some random stranger.

"Paige!" Emily said, pulling Paige's arms around her. She gave Paige a soft smile before offering Paige a seat next to her.

"Wow, don't you two like the cutest couple ever," Hanna said, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed.

"Hanna!" the two responded simultaneously.

"Alright! I know when I'm not wanted. You two enjoy your little love fest, but remember…I told you so," Hanna said getting up and leaving the table.

Paige shook her head laughter, while Emily covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. Paige reached out and softly grabbed Emily's hand, running her thumb over the top of Emily's hand.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" Paige asked, tracing the outline of Emily's hand.

"Homework, but it's nothing, so no."

"Come over tonight…"

"Paige…we—"

"Please. You said we needed to talk about this…and Emily…I don't know about you, but I want this to be something more."

"Okay," Emily said, kissing Paige gently on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight."

"Okay," Paige said, giving Emily a warm smile.

Paige waited patiently for Hanna to arrive at the Brew. Of course, Hanna being Hanna made a dramatic entry.

"Paige! There you are!" Hanna said vibrantly, waving her hands in the air.

"Jesus Hanna," Paige said, trying to lower Hanna's voice.

"So tell me everything," Hanna said, getting right into it.

"Hi, Hanna it's nice to see you again," Paige said blatantly.

"Yeah, yeah so what happened."

"Well Emily came by for dinner, and then we just ended up talking for hours. It was nice to just sit down and get to know each other a little more. Emily left and then she came back a few minutes later because of the storm."

"Come on Paige…details," Hanna said, tapping her fingers.

"Emily fell asleep watching Casablanca, and I said a few things that were on my mind. "

"Like what?"

"I told her I loved her, and I guess she heard me."

"Do you? Love her?"

"Yeah, I think I do."

"You think…"

"I do."

"So what happened after that?"

"I woke up the next morning to a fresh cup of coffee."

"Emily made you coffee?"

"Well, sort of. I think she had a little trouble working the coffee machine."

"Haha, she's cute when she tries to impress someone she likes."

"That she is…" Paige laughed softly.

"So…after that?"

"Well, we attempted to make breakfast and then one thing lead to another and…"

"AND…"

"We ended up kissing…"

"What is a passionate kiss or a wet one?" Hanna asked.

"Hanna! Jesus do you ever have a filter?"

"No but that's not the point."

"It was soft and sweet."

"AWWWWW! What next?"

"We just spent the rest of the day lounging."

"Just lounging...?" Hanna asked skeptically.

"Yes Hanna! Just lounging."

"So there was no—"

"No Hanna where wasn't any," Paige said waving hand around.

"Okay…whatever you say."

"We haven't even figured out what we are yet, so I don't think that step is going to come any time soon."

"Well, I'm sure that you two will figure everything out," Hanna said, patting Paige on the shoulder.

"Thanks Hanna…your one true friend," Paige joked.

"You love me," Hanna scoffed.

"I guess so…" Paige laughed.

"Trust. Emily wants this as much as you do."

Emily found herself standing outside of Paige's door. She knocked a few times and waited. Haley, one of Paige's roommates, answered the door.

"Emily, hey," she said warmly.

"Is Paige here?"

"Yeah. She's in her room," Haley said, opening the door further.

"Thanks."

Emily wandered down the hall until she got to Paige's door. It was slightly ajar, and she could see Paige working at her desk. She knocked before slowly opening the door.

"Hey," Paige said softly, looking up from her work.

"Hey,"' Emily responded, closing the door behind her. "How was your 'date' with Hanna?"

"Interesting, but then again…anything with Hanna is interesting."

"Yeah…I guess your right."

"So, how are you?" Paige asked, taking a seat on the bed.

"Good, tired. I think I slept through my entire math class."

"Come here," Paige said, opening her arms. Emily snuggled up close to Paige's side, resting her head on Paige's chest.

"Where do we go from here?" Emily asked quietly.

"I guess we take it one step at a time," Paige said softly, running her fingers through Emily's hair.

"One step at a time."

"Go out with me," Paige whispered softly.

"What?"

"Go out with me."

"What happened to one step at a time?" Emily laughed.

"Hey, it's a step," Paige laughed, as Emily playfully hit her.

"So does this make me your girlfriend?" Emily asked, playing with the hem of Paige's shirt.

"How happened to one step at a time?" Paige joked again.

"Hey!"

"It makes it anything you want it to be," Paige replied, leaning down and capturing Emily's lips.

"Paige, be my girlfriend," Emily said, breaking the kiss.

"Okay," Paige smiled, before capturing Emily's lips again.

Paige's heart was spinning out of control. All she could think about was the fact that the girl that she was holding in her arms was she girlfriend. Emily Fields, was her girlfriend. A smile would appear every time she thought about it, soon all she could do was smile. She laughed when she thought about their first encounter in chemistry class.

"What's so funny?" Emily asked, looking up at Paige.

"Nothing, I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"The first day I met you," she said laughing.

"Tell me," Emily said, propping herself up on her elbows.

"It was the day that Coach asked me to stay late to talk about colleges, soon ten minutes turned into thirty. I remember walking into chem class like ten minutes late, and everyone's staring at me. Everyone was staring at me, and I was completely embarrassed, and then I saw you…"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, and suddenly everything was okay. There's something about you Emily that makes my world calm and peaceful."

"You remain a mystery to me McCullers, but I can't wait to figure you out," Emily said, lacing her fingers with Paige.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys the next chapter is up! I think that this is the chapter that you all have been waiting for, and I hope that this chapter will do you all justice. Please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear the feedback you have. Also I'm working on Innocence as well. I'm sorry for the long wait. Currently I've had motivation to write New Girl, but a new chapter of Innocence is on its way, I PROMISE!**

 **Thanks for being such amazing readers and fans! Love you all so much!**

 **~K 3**

 **Chapter 13**

Emily sat patiently in class, waiting for the bell to ring. For the first time since she could remember, she hasn't fallen asleep in math class. She tapped her fingers anxiously, glancing at door every few seconds. A smile appeared on her face when she saw Paige's face appear in the small sliver of window in the door.

As soon as the bell rung, Emily quickly packed her things up and headed to wards the door. Paige was leaning against wall opposite the door, smiling when she saw Emily exiting the classroom.

"Hey," Paige said, lacing their hands together as they headed down the hallway. "How was math?"

"I think for once, I actually stayed awake."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I guess I had something to look forward to after class," Emily said, pulling Paige a little closer.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

"This," Emily said, planting a gentle kiss on Paige's lips. Emily heard Paige stifle a giggle/moan.

"Damn, how did I get so lucky?" Paige whispered back.

"You're just a lucky girl," Emily said, pulling her down the hallway. "So, how has your day been?"

"Amazing now that you're here," Paige smiled.

"Well, if you're not too busy being amazed, are you doing anything tonight?" Emily asked.

"I just have to drive Syd to the airport after my class."

"Well, after that I was thinking that we could maybe go out to dinner and a movie or something."

"Dinner and a movie...hmm…I think there's a name for that," Paige said, tapping her chin teasingly.

"Paige McCullers, will you go out on a date with me...tonight?"

"I thought you would never ask," Paige said, kissing Emily's cheek. I'm dropping Syd off at 6, so I should be back around 7."

"Pick you up at 7:30?"

"Can't wait," Paige whispered, before letting go of Emily's hand. "Oh, dressy or no?"

"Be yourself," Emily replied.

"As you wish my princess," Paige said, bowing slightly.

"Go, or you'll be late," Emily said trying not to laugh.

"I'll see you later," Paige said, before disappearing into the classroom.

Emily glanced into the classroom, and watch as Paige took her seat and pulled out her notebooks. She felt a smile creep onto her lips as she let out a gentle sigh. She couldn't believe how luck she was to be able to hold Paige in her arms and kiss her whenever she wanted to. Emily took one more glance at Paige before heading back down the hallway.

She wondered the hallways until she found herself in front of pool. Coach Fulton was still in her office, when Emily entered the natatorium.

"Emily, what are you doing here? Is everything alright?" Coach Fulton asked, coming out of her office when she spotted Emily.

"Yeah, everything's perfect," Emily said smiling. "I was just wondering if I could swim a few laps, if that's okay?"

"Of course! If you need anything don't hesitate to ask. I'll be in my office."

"Thanks coach!"

Emily quickly changed into her swimming gear, before taking a seat on the edge of the diving board. She could see her reflection in the still water below her. For the first time, she noticed a glow. She glowed. For once, Emily felt a feeling of happiness and warmth surround her, something that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Emily slowly pushed herself off the edge of the board. For a second, just a second, it felt as if everything around her had stopped. Time had stopped, and she imagined Paige standing before her giving her that McCullers's smile. She felt the cold water engulf her as she sank to the bottom.

Her legs pushed off the bottom of the bottom, sending her to the surface of the water. When she opened her eyes, she saw the water rippling around her.

"You're one hell of a mystery McCullers," she whispered, pushing herself on the wall and down the lane. _But I can't wait to figure you out._ Emily thought as she powered through her laps.

Paige felt herself becoming impatient. She quietly rapped her pencil against her thigh. The teacher had been repeating the same thing for the last half-hour. Everyone in the glass was slowly growing impatient with him. Every now and again he would glance up at the cook and realized that he still have fifteen minutes until the class ended, so he decided to repeat his endless speech again, except this time change the wording of a few sentences.

"If he doesn't shut up I might shoot him myself," Haley, one of Paige's teammates whispered.

"Need help?" Paige whispered back.

"Always McCullers," Haley joked.

When the bell chimes, everyone was out of the class before he even had time to finish his sentence. Paige found herself shoving her things in her backpack and rushing back to her room. Sydney was waiting on the couch when Paige opened the door.

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late," Paige said, slightly out of breath, "Mr. Groves can't take a hint."

"No worries, you're just in time! I just finished packing," Sydney said motioning to the bags that were next to the door.

"Cool, let me just drop my stuff off," Paige said making her way back to her room. She threw on a sweatshirt before grabbing her purse.

"Ready?" Paige asked, reappearing in the living room.

"I guess you could say that," Sydney said, getting up from the couch.

"Hey, you get to go to Bermuda," Paige said excitedly, "and you get to drink margaritas on the beach and meet all these hot tan guys."

"Well if you put it that way," Sydney said, laughing a little bit.

"It'll be fun, trust me. It's not every day that your sister gets married."

"You know what, you're right! This is gonna be great!"

"There we go!" Paige said, pulling Sydney into a hug. "Come on, we don't want you to be late."

Sydney loaded her bags into the back of the car, and took a seat in the passenger seat. Paige pulled out of the parking lot, and navigated their way to the airport.

"So, have any fun plans this weekend?" Sydney asked.

"Yeah, Emily and I have a date tonight."

"OMG Paige that's great!" Sydney said excitedly. "Damn it's about time. How long have you two been going out?"

"Syd, come on it's been like three weeks."

"Paige you've been going out for three weeks and you haven't been out on a date yet?"

"I mean we've gone out together, but never out on a date."

"This is gonna be great! Just remember, be kind and gentle, and be yourself."

"I will."

"Do you know where you're going?"

"Nope. Em just said dinner and maybe a movie."

"I see…" Syd said sitting back in her chair. "You'll have fun tonight."

"Ew Syd! No!" Paige said, realizing what Sydney was getting at.

"Whatever you say," Sydney said, just smiling.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Emily more than anything, but I don't want to rush this. Em means a lot to me. I want to make sure that she's ready before we take that step in our relationship, and might I remind you again that we've only been together for like a month."

"You really love her don't you?"

"More than you know it," Paige said quietly.

"Just don't let yourself get hurt again, okay?" Sydney said, resting a hand on Paige's shoulder.

"I won't."

Paige pulled up into drop off zone of the Philadelphia International Airport. She helped Sydney grab her bags from the back of the car.

"Remember have a good time, and call me if you need anything," Paige said, giving her a tight hug.

"Likewise. I want to hear all about the date as well," Sydney smiled.

"Only if you bring be back something awesome from Bermuda."

"Deal."

"Enjoy the heat."

"Try not to get hypothermia," Sydney laughed, motioning to the snow that was still covering the ground.

"Fly safe."

"Drive safe. I expect to see my car in mint condition when I come back," Sydney said waving.

Paige hurried back into the car. It was already 6:45 by the time she made it out of the airport traffic. She was still 45 minutes from her dorm. She fumbled for her phone and hit the speed dial button.

 _"Hi, this is Emily. I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now. Please leave your name and number and I'll get right back to you."_

Paige tried again, but it went straight to voicemail again. She figured that Emily must be getting ready or in the shower, or her phone must be on silent. She maneuvered her way through the traffic, slowing picking up speed as she went.

Emily felt the hot water run over her face, cooling down her growing nervous. By the time she shut off the water, it was almost 6:45pm. She quickly dried herself off made her way to her closet.

"So where are we off to tonight?" Hanna asked, looking up from her phone.

"I'm just going out with Paige," Emily said, flipping through her clothes.

"Really, just going out? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because you've been flipping through those clothes for the past ten minutes. I think that this is more than just 'going out'. You Emily Fields are going out on a date!"

"Hanna, please don't make a big deal out of this. We've been out together plenty of times before."

"Okay, there's a big difference between going out on a date and just 'going out'."

"Okay, so what's the difference?" Emily asked, pulling a sweater over her head.

"Well first of all. This is the first time that I've seen you actually care about what you're wearing. The other times you just kinda pick something and hope it looks good. The difference between 'going out' is that you haven't established that you're actually dating. When you go on a date, date, you've made the fine make that you are in fact dating and you can show public affection as a couple."

"I don't really understand your logic, but whatever you say," Emily said, laughing slightly.

"This one's a special one," Hanna said, laying back down. "Just remember that."

"Hanna! We're not going to have sex!"

"You never know Em!"

"Hanna we've only been going out for a month, and she just got out of nasty long-term relationship with Shana. Maybe she's not ready to commit like that."

"You still have a lot to learn about Paige," Hanna said, shaking her head. "Sometimes she'll surprise you."

"Okay…" Emily said quietly. She grabbed her jacket and purse before making her way towards the door.

"Look Em, I'm just trying to make sure that you don't get hurt, and that Paige doesn't get hurt either," Hanna said, approaching Emily. "I'm sorry if I come off a little strong. It's just I've known Paige for a long time, and she's been through a lot these past few years."

"I know. You're a good friend…to the both of us," Emily said, pulling Hanna into a hug. "Don't wait up okay?"

"Okay, have fun tonight. And be responsible," she called after Emily.

Emily just laughed to herself as she made her way down the hallway. She threw on her jacket and scarf before entering the cold. Spring was quickly approaching, but the crisp air still nipped at her face. When she finally made it Paige's building, she quickly hurried into. A gust of warm air hit her as she entered the building.

She quickly made her way to Paige's door. She knocked a few times, but there was no answer. Odd, she thought to herself. She didn't see any lights coming from under the door. She pulled out her phone and noticed that she two missed calls from Paige, but no voicemails.

She quickly dialed Paige's number and waited for her to answer, but went straight to voicemail. The nervous slowly started to return, what if she got in a crash? What if something happened to her? She knocked on the door again, but still no answer. She started to pace up and down the hallway, trying to calm herself. It wasn't until she heard the jingle of keys, that she finally looked up. Paige was coming down the hall, keys in hand.

"Emily, I'm so sorry," she said, walking up and pulling Emily into a tight hug. "I tried calling, I didn't anticipate there to be so much traffic."

"It's okay," Emily said taking in a deep breath. "You here now, and that's all that matters."

"You're freezing," Paige said, when she went to touch Emily's cheek. "Come on, let's get you inside." Paige unlocked the door, and let Emily inside. "Let me just change really quick."

"Take you time," Emily said, as Paige made her way to her room. Paige quickly made her way to her closet and searched for something to wear. She changed into a pair of black jeans, a dressy sweater, and boots. She didn't notice that Emily had come into her room, until she felt her strong arms wrap around her.

"You look amazing," Emily whispered, planting a gentle kiss on Paige's cheek from behind.

"So do you," Paige said, turning around and wrapping her arms around Emily's neck. Paige took the extra inch that she had on Emily and let Emily rest her head on her shoulder.

"You ready to get out of here?" Emily asked softly.

"Yeah," Paige replied softly.

The two made their way out of Paige's dorm. The restaurant that Emily had picked was very close to Paige's building. It was about a fifteen-minute walk, but it was the longest and coldest fifteen-minute walk. Paige held tightly onto Emily's hand as they walked down the street. Paige had buried her face in her scarf, and had pulled her hat over her ears, while Emily had wrapped her scarf around her head and face to prevent the chill air from freezing her face.

When Emily spotted the restaurant, she quickened her pace, pulling Paige along with her. The two quickly hurried into the building, and stood in the entrance of the restaurant laughing and attempting to regain feeling in their hands and feet.

"Hello, welcome Pascolo. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes. Emily Fields."

"Emily…Emily…" the hostess said as she went down the list. "Oh yes! Here you are. Right this way."

They followed the server to corner of the restaurant. The restaurant was fairly packed for this time of night.

"Wow, Em, this place is amazing," Paige said, looking around at all the décor. "How'd you find this place?"

"I have my sources," Emily smiled. She'd asked Hanna about restaurants around Rosewood, and she knew that Paige loved Italian.

"Well, it's perfect," Paige smiled.

They took a look at the menu. Emily found herself having a hard time concentrating on the menu, because Paige's foot was rubbing gently against hers.

"So have any ideas on what you want to eat?" Paige asked.

"Um…sorry…" Emily said, pulling her foot away from Paige's so that she could concentrate on the question that Paige had just asked. She could have sworn she saw Paige smirked at her movement.

"How about this," Paige said, gently closing Emily's menu. "There's something on here that I think you'll love. Will you trust me?"

"Only if you promise me that you won't end up feeding me something disgusting and repulsive."

"I promise," Paige said, gently wrapping her hands around Emily's. "I promise that you'll like it. And if you don't I'll give you as many kisses as you want until I'm forgiven."

"Okay," Emily said, trying to hide her flushed cheeks.

When the waitress came around, Paige whispered something into her ear. The waitress smiled, before taking the menus and walking away. She came back fifteen-minutes later, carrying two salads.

"Alright, two house salads," she said politely, placing one in front of each of them. "The rest of your order should be out shortly."

"Thank you," Paige replied politely. "I hope you like house salad. I kinda of guessed on that."

"Paige it's delicious," Emily said, already taking a second bite. Paige cracked a smile, before digging into her own salad.

The waitress returned shortly after with their entrees. The smell of salmon filled Emily's nostrils. The sweet, salty, savory scent was already make her mouth begin to water.

"I guess now comes the moment of truth," Paige smiled. She watched patiently as took a bite of her salmon. Paige could tell by the expression that appeared on Emily's face that she'd chosen right.

"Holy shit," Emily whispered, savoring the bite that she had just taken.

"You like?"

"I love!" Emily laughed, eagerly cutting herself another piece. "You have excellent taste."

"Why thank you very much," Paige said, bowing slightly, while trying not to laugh.

They ate their salmon while laughing and telling stories. When Hanna had mentioned that 'going out' was different than a 'date', she now understood what Hanna meant. This was different than their usual outings. This is special, because the beautiful brunette that sat before her, was in fact her girlfriend, and they were on a date.

She watched the way Paige moved. It's seemed to smooth and casual. Her smiled melted her every time and her laugh made Emily smile even wider. She couldn't wait for more times like these.

"Can I interest you ladies in dessert?" the waitress asked kindly.

"You think you could go for dessert?" Paige asked Emily.

"I might burst if I eat anymore. The food was delicious."

"I'm glad to hear. I'll bring the check in a few."

"Thank you," Emily said, reaching for her wallet. Paige had also pulled out her wallet and was taking out some money.

"Paige, put that away," Emily said, motioning to the money.

"I think that since it's our first date, it's fair to split the check," Paige said, placing her money on the table.

"Just this one time," Emily said, caving to Paige's pleading smile.

"Just this one time."

They paid the check and made their way to the entrance of the restaurant. Paige helped Emily bundled up, and gave place her hat on Emily's head.

"Ready?" Paige asked, looking at the cold outside.

"With you…I'm ready for anything," Emily said holding out her hand. Paige gently laced their fingers together before pushing the door open.

The cold wind hit them like bricks. They powerwalked their way through the green, and towards Paige's building. They cut their walking time in half, and found themselves at the entrance of Paige's building with cold feet and cramps, but all in good spirits.

"Would you like to come inside?" Paige asked quietly.

"Of course," Emily said, trying to warm up her hands.

They made their way up the stairs towards Paige's room. When the got inside, they quickly took off their coats and shoes.

"Do you want something to change into?" Paige asked.

"Yeah. This food baby is a little to big for these jeans," Emily laughed, patting her full stomach.

"Here," Paige said, leading Emily to her room. She rummaged through her drawers for a second to find some sweatpants and a shirt for Emily to put on.

Emily quickly took off her sweater and pants, fully aware that Paige was in the room with her. She pulled on the shirt and pants that Paige had given her before turning around to find that Paige had only put on sweatpants and a sports bra.

Emily found herself moving closer to Paige. Soon her hands were resting gently on Paige's bare waist.

"Paige…" Emily whispered moving into closer.

"Emily…"

"Can I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask," Paige whispered, connecting their lips.

The warmth from Paige's body slowly started to flow into Emily. Before the two of them knew it the kiss had become more heated. Emily gently pressed Paige up against the door. She let her hands wander up and down Paige's half-clothed body.

Before Emily could react to what was going on, Paige had flipped Emily around, and pulled Emily's around her waist. Paige gently carried Paige over to the bed, and laid her down gently. Emily felt Paige's hand slip under to shirt, and gently rake down her stomach.

Emily couldn't stop a moan from escaping her lips, as Paige left a trail of kisses down Emily's neck.

"Paige…" Emily moaned. "We—"

"I know," Paige whispered. She kissed Emily once more, before pulling away.

"I'm sorry," Emily said, propping herself up.

"Hey," Paige said, stroking Emily's cheek. "You've got nothing to be sorry for. These things they come with time, and I'm willing to go the extra hour, day, week, month, year, whatever it takes. I'd wait a life time for you Emily Fields."

"I love you Paige," Emily whispered, kissing Paige softly.

"I love you, too, Emily."

Read and Review!


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello my friends! As promised the next chapter is here! I've gotten a head start on the next few chapter so I will be updating ever week! I PROMISE! Thanks for being awesome! Love you all!**

 **Chapter 14**

Emily felt the blankets being pulled up around her, but she was too tired to comprehend what was going on. A warm body cuddled up next to her. She raveled in the warmth that she was receiving. She felt herself starting to drift back to sleep.

Paige propped herself up with her arm, and slowly brushed her fingers through Emily's long locks. Emily lay there so peacefully, with a faint smile resting on her beautiful face.

"I can't wait spend a lifetime with you," Paige whispered, before placing a gentle kiss on Emily's temple.

She quietly got out of bed, and made her way into the kitchen. She took her time making coffee, and putting away the dishes. By the time the coffee chimed, it was approaching 10:30am.

Emily felt a cold breeze whisk across her feet, forcing her to open her eyes. The room was dark, but a sliver of light was coming in through the cracked door.

"Paige?" Emily rolled over to find the spot next to her was cold and empty. "Paige?"

"Em? You awake?" Paige asked from the other side of the door.

"Yeah," Emily croaked.

Paige slowly opened the door and let the light flood the room. The smell of coffee filled the room. A smile appeared on Emily's face as Paige entered the room. She was still wearing sweatpants, but had thrown a sweatshirt over her sports bra.

"Good morning beautiful," Paige said trying to kiss Emily.

"Ah, no, I had morning breath," Emily said quickly covering her mouth to prevent Paige from kissing her.

"I don't care," Paige said softly, removing Emily's hand and kissing her.

"I hope my breath wasn't too bad," Emily said, blushing slightly.

"Never," Paige smiled. "Here, I made coffee. I hope that's okay?"

"You're too good to me," Emily said, taking the cup of hot coffee. "Mmmhhh."

"Score #2 for Paige," Paige laughed.

"You're such a goofball," Emily said, playfully hitting Paige. "So, what have you got planned next?"

"Well, I thinking that maybe I could interest you in a McCullers's breakfast?"

"That sounds perfect," Emily said, planting a kiss on Paige's cheek. "Only if I can take a shower and brush my teeth."

"Of course," Paige laughed. "The shower's down the hall, and you're welcome to wear anything that will fit."

"Oh this is gonna be fun," Emily said hopping out of bed and rubbing her hands together, before going through Paige's drawers.

"I'll get breakfast ready," Paige laughed, as she watched Emily picked what she wanted to wear.

Paige pulled the ingredients for pancakes and got started with the cooking. She her the shower turn on, and then about twenty minutes later it shut off. From her position in the kitchen, she could directly see the bathroom door. She turned on some music, while she waited for the pancakes to cook on the griddle.

Emily dried off her body, before slipping into a pair of Paige's light blue jeans and a t-shirt. She topped it off with one of Paige's swimming sweatshirts. When she opened the bathroom door, she saw Paige swaying to the music that playing, while flipping the pancakes. Emily quickly pulled out her phone and took a short video, before laughing. The laugh caught Paige's attention.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked, smiling.

"Nothing, just you," Emily said, coming into the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around Paige's waist and rested her head on Paige's shoulder.

"That smells amazing," Emily said, taking a whiff of pancake.

"They taste even better," Paige said taking one off the griddle. "Here."

Emily took the two plates that Paige had been holding out and placed them on the counter.

"Whip cream, maple, butter, all?" Paige asked looking at what they had in the fridge.

"What would you recommend?"

"Well, maple and butter can never go wrong."

"I'll trust you on that," Emily laughed.

Paige pulled out the butter and maple and heated them up.

"Breakfast has been served my princess," Paige said, dramatically, placing the maple syrup and butter in front of Emily.

"Why thank you," Emily laughed, taking the syrup and pouring it over her pancakes, before topping it off with the butter. "Mmmhhh. This is delicious! What's in it?"

"It's a secret recipe," Paige smiled. "I guess you'll just have to uncover that secret."

"Full of mysteries I see."

"Well, mysteries that you'll just have to figure out some day."

"I think I'll have plenty of time."

They enjoyed their breakfast, while falling into to simple conversation. Emily enjoyed the time that she got to spend with Paige. They were slowly developing the relationship that they had both been trying to find and had longed for. Emily took in the simplicity of Paige. The way she moved with easy, the way she talked as if she was carefree, everything about Paige made her fall more in love with her.

"What are you looking at?" Paige asked, noticing that Emily had been staring at her dreamily.

"You," Emily said softly as she continued to stare at Paige.

"You like what you see?" Paige joked.

"Always," Emily said, planting a gentle kiss on Paige's lips. "Now how about I clean up breakfast, while you clean up?"

"Yes, ma'am," Paige said getting up. She nudged Emily as she walked by her. A smile appeared on Emily's lips from Paige's gesture. She kept her eyes on Paige until she closed the bathroom door behind her.

Emily took her time cleaning up. She turned the radio on. She washed and dried the dishes by hand before placing gently back into the cabinets. Emily had just put the last dish way when she heard the bathroom door open. Paige came into the kitchen a few minutes later, drying her hair with a towel.

"Well don't you clean up nice?" Emily laughed, wrapping her arms around Paige's waist.

"I love this song," Paige whispered as the song started to play.

 _You're a falling star, you're the get away car  
You're the line in the sand when I go too far  
You're the swimming pool on an August day  
And you're the perfect thing to see_

Paige wrapped her arms around Emily's neck as they started to sway to the music.

 _And you play you're coy, but it's kinda cute  
Oh, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do  
Baby, don't pretend that you don't know it's true  
Cause you can see it when I look at you_

"So you're a Michael Bublé fan?"

"Well, you are my everything," Paige smiled, as she twirled Emily around.

 _And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you; you make me sing  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything_

 _You're a carousel, you're a wishing well_

Emily felt herself started to dance carefree with Paige creating dance moves of her own, twirling Emily round and round. _  
And you light me up when you ring my bell  
You're a mystery, you're from outer space  
You're my every minute of my everyday_

 _And I can't believe, uh, that I'm your man_

Emily couldn't help but laugh, as they continued to dance around the kitchen. She felt her body move to the rhythm of the music, and in time with Paige's. _  
And I get to kiss you, baby, just because I can  
Whatever comes our way, oh, we'll see it through  
And you know that's what our love can do_

 _And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times_

 _It's you, it's you; you make me sing  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything_

 _So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la  
So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la_

 _And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you; you make me sing  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything  
You're every song, and I sing along_

 _Cause you're my everything  
Yeah, yeah_

 _So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la  
So, la, la, la, la, la, la-la-la, la-la-la_

The music came to a close, and the two stood in the kitchen a little out of breath, but were all smiles and laughs.

"So do you always dance in the kitchen?" Emily laughed, wrapping her arms around Paige's neck and pulling her closer to her.

"Only with you," Paige whispered, "I like it…"

"I love it…" Emily said kissing Paige, "but I love you more."

"Are you sure you have to go?" Paige asked, tightening her grip around Emily's waist.

"I promised Hanna that I would go with her to this fashion sale in the city, or something relating to fashion."

"Well you can't break a promise with Hanna, or else she go apeshit," Paige laughed.

"Speaking from personal experience?" Emily asked, laughing.

"Maybe, but it's a story for another time."

"I expect to hear this story in the near future."

"I wouldn't deny you. It's a good one," Paige laughed as she recalled the memory.

"Walk me back?" Emily asked.

"Of course," Paige said kissing Emily's cheek. "Let me just grab my things."

Emily waited for Paige to get her shoes and jacket on, before they made their way down to the lobby. Paige laced their fingers together as they made their way down the stairs.

They walked silently to Emily's dorm. It wasn't until they reached they lobby and one of them spoke.

"Emily, I had a great time last night," Paige said, holding onto Emily's hands.

"I did too. I'm sorry about—"

"Emily, you don't have to be sorry. We both got a little carried away last night. It happens. When the time's right, it'll happen," Paige said kissing Emily's cheek.

"Okay," Emily said slightly reassured.

"If you're not doing anything this weekend, I would love to take you out again," Paige asked hopefully.

"You're in luck McCullers, I just happen to be free," Emily smiled.

"Great!" Paige said excitedly. "Now get up there, before Hanna goes apeshit on you."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Emily smiled.

Paige watched as Emily made her way to the stair. Emily stopped abruptly, before turning around and making her way back to Paige.

"Em, everything okay?" Paige asked as Emily's abrupt return.

"Yeah, I just got to do something," she said kissing Paige. "Couldn't say goodbye without a goodbye kiss.'

"You call that a goodbye kiss," Paige said, pulling Emily back. Paige felt Emily smile into the kiss, and a soft laugh escaped her lips.

Emily still had a smile on her face when she unlocked the door to her room. Hanna was laying on her bed drinking some coffee and reading on of her books.

"Well, someone looks happy," Hanna said, setting down her book.

"I am," Emily said still smiling.

"Well, I expect to hear all about it, but first, you need to get ready," Hanna said, hopping off her bed. "We're leaving in twenty minutes."

"Can't I just go like this," Emily said, hugging Paige's sweater.

"Those jeans will do but that sweatshirt…no…" Hanna said, shuffling through her drawer. "Here put this own." Hanna threw Emily one of her nice sweaters. Emily groan slightly as she took off Paige's warm, fuzzy sweatshirt. Emily carefully folded Paige's sweatshirt and put in her closet. She put on Hanna's sweater and put on a light layer of make-up, at Hanna's request.

"Ready, chicka!" Hanna asked, putting on her jacket.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Emily sighed.

Emily followed Hanna out her car. Hanna remained oddly silent, as they started their drive into the city. It wasn't until they pulled into the parking garage that Hanna finally spoke of Paige.

"So, tell me about last night?" Hanna said, walking next to Emily. "How was it?"

"Well, we went to this really nice restaurant," Emily said, "and Paige ordered this amazing salmon dish. I think my mouth was literally watering."

A smile appeared on Hanna's lips as she listened to Emily recount her night with Paige. It warmed her heart to see Emily so in love, and in love with Paige.

"I'm really happy for you Emily."

"For once, this feels like happiness," Emily said, smiling brightly.

"I can tell. You can't seem to wipe that smile off your half," Hanna laughed.

"Ah," Emily said, playfully punching Hanna. "Shut up."

"Oh come on Em, admit it," Hanna said, looping her arms with Emily's.

"Okay, maybe just a bit."

"A bit!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello my fellow reader! A weekly update as promised! Wow! Thanks for being awesome, I can't wait for you to read the rest of this story! Also looking for a prompt for my next story; I would love to hear some suggestions (PM or comment). Love you all. Let me know what you think of this chapter!**

 **Chapter 15**

Paige and Emily sat next to each other on the plane. The flight from Philly to Oakland was only a few hours, but Paige held onto Emily's hard for the entire flight.

"Paige, I swear, I'm not going anywhere," Emily laughed, looking at their hands.

"I know," Paige said, kissing the back of Emily's hand. "I just don't want you to leave."

"I know, but it's only a couple of days, and then we'll be right back here. Promise."

"Okay."

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Oakland International Airport. The current time is 6:49pm. We hope you've had a wonderful flight, and we'd like to thank you for flying Delta."

Paige and Emily walked down the airway, holding hands until they got to the baggage claim. Paige found her name written on a poster a girl was holding, while Emily found hers.

"Paige?" the girl asked politely. Paige nodded. "I'm Kelley." The girl extended her hand and Paige gratefully shook it. "I'm a junior at Stanford. You'll be staying with me for the weekend."

"Alright," Paige said excitedly. She looked over her shoulder to find Emily talking to a similar girl, who was holding her name.

"I'll be right back," Paige said, pointing to Emily.

"I'll take your bags. My cars right outside," Kelley said, pointing to her blue Honda.

"Well, Emily, I can't wait to show you around the campus," the girl said excitedly.

"Hey," Paige said, quietly.

"Hey! Alex, this is Paige."

"It's nice to meet you," she said, shaking her hand. "So Stanford, huh?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Kelley. We've swam against each other for years," Alex laughed. "You'll like it there."

"So I'm told," Paige laughed.

"I'll see you soon, okay," Emily said giving Paige a quick kiss.

"See you soon," Paige whispered softly.

Paige watched as Emily headed in the opposite direction. She watched until she lost Emily in a crowd of people. Paige headed back out to the pick-up zone and got into Kelley's car.

"So did you have a good flight?" Kelley asked, pulling away.

"Yeah, it was a lot quicker that I thought it would be."

"Just wait, you won't be saying that when you're driving cross-country with all your stuff."

"I can't even imagine," Paige laughed. "Are you from the east coast?"

"Yeah, Delaware."

"Yup, I wouldn't make it."

"I recommend buying all your stuff here, much easier," Kelley replied laughing.

"I'll keep that in mind. So you swim?"

"Yeah, been swimming since before I was born," Kelley laughed. "I've seen your numbers, they're really impressive."

"Thanks!"

"Oh I forget! Where are my manner? Are you hungry?" Kelley asked, slightly flustered.

"Yeah, I could go for something," Paige said, hiding a laugh.

"Thank god, I'm starving, and we might be able to avoid some of the rush hour traffic."

"I trust you that we'll eat someplace good?"

"Only the best! Remember I'm trying to make you want to come here," Kelley laughed.

"Well, I think I'm already sold, so hopefully you won't have much to worry about."

Emily took a seat in the passenger seat of Alex's Nissan. She checked her phone and found a message from Paige.

 **Paige: Can't wait to see u. I miss you already…** **J**

Emily smiled before quickly responding. She knew that it was only a couple of days, but she already missed Paige. She couldn't imagine what would happen when they were apart for more than a few days.

"So, have you ever been out to California before?"

"Nope, first time."

"Oh you're in for a treat!" Alex smiled. "So what made you want to come out here?"

"Well for one, California sunshine. You don't get to see that a lot in Philly, and well swimming."

"I can't argue about the California rays," Alex laughed. "But you'll have a chance to practice with us this weekend."

"Really? That would be awesome!"

"Yeah, we're having an inter-team scrimmage on Sunday. You'll get to show us what you're made of."

"Wow, I can't wait!"

"I'm prepared to watch you kick some ass," Alex laughed.

"What makes you think I will?"

"Well, I've seen your numbers and your number are better than half the swimmers on the team."

"Does that mean that I'm going to kick your ass?" Emily asked slyly.

"I guess we'll have to see," Alex winked. "So do you have anything you want to do or see tonight?"

"Do you have any suggestions?"

"Well, I hope you don't mind but I invited a few of the other swimmer to join us for dinner at my place."

"No that sounds like a great idea!" Emily said excitedly. She couldn't wait to meet more of the people she'd be spending the next four years with.

"Are you good at cooking?"

"Depends…what are you cooking?"

"Well, I guess we'll figure that out when we get back."

The two pulled up in front of Alex's apartment. It was located in University Village.

"Wow…you live here?" Emily asked aghast.

"Yeah, pretty sweet right?"

"Hell yeah," Emily said, looking around the courtyard. "How do you get one of these?"

"Good grades and a good lottery number," Alex laughed. "Come on, I'll take you inside."

Emily marveled at the apartment complex. She'd never seen anything like it before, especially on a college campus. She thought that Rosewood Prep was nice, but this was unbelievable.

When Alex opened the door to her apartment, Emily felt her bags slip out of her hands. From the doorway Emily could see the living room and kitchen. She walked in a little further a found a staircase leading up to a second story.

"Wow…How many people live here?"

"Three total," Alex said, leading Emily up the stairs. "One of my roommate's at an away game for the weekend, so you can stay in her room."

"Are you sure? I can stay on the couch or something?"

"Nonsense. JJ's super chill," Alex said, opening JJ's door.

It was a standard size single inside. JJ had soccer posters hanging on the wall with a couple of personal pictures. Her desk was in the corner next to the window, with her bed on the opposite side.

"I washed the sheets and everything so it's all clean," Alex said placing my bags on the bed. "My room's right across the hallway, and the bathroom's right around the corner."

"I'll let you be. If you need anything I'll be down in the kitchen," Alex said, heading down the stairs.

Emily walked around JJ's room, looking at all the photos and posters that she had hung up. She slowly made she way into the hallway and started to inspect every inch of the apartment. Alex's room was set up similar to JJ's. There were a couple of pictures of her with some other girls hung around her room, with a few medals hanging from the wall.

Emily finally made her way downstairs before ending up in the kitchen. Alex was cutting up peppers and cooking hamburger meet on the stove.

"Mmm, that smells good," Emily said, taking a whiff.

"Glad you think so," Alex laughed. "Oh do you think that you could chop up an onion?"

"Yeah, of course. Is it in the fridge?"

' "Yeah bottom drawer. There's a cutting board next to the microwave and here's a knife," Alex said, passing Emily a chopping knife.

"Be warned. You might see me cry," Emily said, cutting into the onion.

"Trust me, if I were cutting an onion I'd already be crying, and I'm told I'm an ugly crier."

"I'm sure it can't be that bad."

"Here," Alex said, pulling out her phone and finding a video. Emily watched the video that Alex was showing her.

"Oh…that's bad," Emily said, trying to hide her laughter.

"Oh it smells good in here!" Emily heard someone call from the door. A woman appeared from around the corner. She looked like she had just gotten back from a run.

"Hey! Steph this is Emily. Emily…Steph."

"Hey, nice to meet you," Steph said. Emily recognized her accent as Australian. "Alex tell me that you're a swimmer."

"Yeah."

"Awesome! You'll love it here," Steph said smiling. "I'm going to shower so that you don't have to deal with is sweatiness."

"Yeah you stink," Alex laughed, pinching her nose.

"Whatever Alex," Steph laughed. Emily watched her enter the room right across from the kitchen, which she assumed to be her room.

"Is Steph an athlete?" Emily asked. She figured that if JJ and Alex were both athletes, Steph had to be.

"Water Polo."

"Wow."

"I know. I've seen her play and damn, you need a lot of strength."

"Yeah, and I thought swimming was hard."

Paige sat across from Kelley at the restaurant. They'd decided to go to a local dinner in the area that Kelley knew off.

"So, what's going on this weekend?" Paige asked.

"Well, we'll probably get in pretty late night, and then tomorrow you'll meet with the coach, the Athletic department, and then join us for practice, and well Sunday we can go whatever you like. See the sights, walk around campus, meet some teachers or professors."

"What's something memorable to do?"

"Well, I can think of a few things, if you're up for a thrill," Kelley smirked.

"Try me."

"You'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"It better be worth the wait," Paige joked.

"So Paige tell me about yourself."

"What would you like to know? Or what would Stanford like to know?"

"How long have you been swimming for?"

"Since before I could walk. My mom was a swim instructor and a high school swim coach. She used to take me to her practice and let we wad around in the kiddy pool with floaties on," Paige laughed, remember the imagines of her childhood.

"Have you decided on a major yet?"

"Business."

"Oh nice. I'm an economics majors. You'll like business."

"Yeah I hope so."

"So, now the real question. Who was that girl you were with? The one that went with Alex."

"Wait? Alex? You know her?"

"Yeah she swims for Berkeley. We've swam against each other since high school."

"Emily, she's my girlfriend, um we both go to Rosewood Prep."

"I knew it!" Kelley said, clapping her hands together.

"That obvious?"

"Maybe, but I'm told to have great gaydar," Kelley laughed.

"Really? Well how about Alex?"

"Gay."

"Really?"

"Really. She's been dating this soccer player for like three years."

"Wow…"

"Yeah, I know. I wonder if I'll ever a have long-term relationship," Kelley said, staring off into space.

Paige and Kelley slowly ate their meals to avoid the traffic that was slowly starting to dissipate. By the time they hit the road, Emily had already made it Berkeley.

Paige let her eyes wonder to the California sky line. The sun had already set. She watched the colors slowly become dark before stars appeared in the sky.

Paige felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. Emily's caller ID appeared on her phone. She glanced at Paige to make sure that it was okay.

"Hey baby," Paige heard Emily's voice through the receiver.

"I love it when you call me that," Paige laughed.

"How was your day?"

"Good, we just got back on the road."

"Really?"

"We stopped to get something to eat, and void the end of the rush hour traffic."

"How much longer do you have?"

"About an hour," Paige said, looking at the road signs. "How was your day? Do anything fun?"

"Good. I got to meet Alex's roommates and a couple of the people on the swim team. She made grilled stuffed peppers. I think I might have died…they were so good."

"Hahaha, that sounds delicious."

"Oh, well I got the recipe from her, so you can expect that home cooked meal soon."

"Oh! I can't wait."

"So what does your weekend look like?"

"Swimming with the team tomorrow, meeting some the staff members and the coaches, and then I think I'm meeting with an advisor to discuss classes and whatnot. You?"

"That's awesome! Tomorrow, I'm meeting with a lot of people, and then Alex was gonna take me downtown and explore the town, then Sunday the team's having a scrimmage and I get to swim with them."

"That's an amazing opportunity!"

"I know right. You'll smoke their asses."

"Oh you know I will! God I miss not seeing you."

"I know! But I'll be thinking about you."

"I love you."

"I love you too. Have fun."

"I will, only if you do."

"I always do."

"Bye Paige," Emily quipped.

"Bye Emily. I'll see you soon," Paige said, before hanging up the phone.

"So how's Emily?" Kelley asked, giving Paige a strange look.

"Good, she was just calling to say goodnight."

"You guys are too cute," she said smiling.

"What about you? Do you have someone special?"

"Yeah, I do. You'll meet him tonight or tomorrow. He may or may not be asleep when we get back."

"Well I'm sure I'll meet him at some point."

"As long as you introduce me to Emily before you leave."

"Deal."


	16. Chapter 16

**hellllooo! another weekly update! wow! this chapter doesn't focus too much on paily, it's more of a filler and an intro to college. I hope you like! let me know what y'all think. also i've gotten some great prompts from people so i'd like to give people a shoutout and say ur all awesome and i love idea! share if you've got some ideas. I'd like to try and write two more stories by the end of the summer (maybe). love you!**

 **Chapter 16**

Emily heard a soft knocking at her door. For a minute she was extremely confused. It took her a minute for her to realize that she wasn't in her dorm.

"Emily?" Alex asked from the other side of the door.

Emily quickly rolled out of bed and opened the door. She regretted opening the door as quickly as she did because the light streaming in from the window instantly blinded her.

"Wow, hey," Alex said, stabilizing Emily.

"Sorry. I wouldn't expecting it to be this bright out," Emily said, regaining her footing.

"I'm sorry if I woke you, I didn't know what time your meeting was today?" Alex said, moving to block the sun.

"No don't worry about it. Um..." Emily said, looking at the clock, "my meeting's at noon."

"Oh shit. I thought it would be much earlier."

"It's cool. Don't worry about it," Emily laughed.

"Well, now that you've been rudely awoken, how about breakfast?"

"Yeah that sounds great! I'm starving, but do you think I could take a quick shower?"

"For sure. You know where the bathroom is…the towels are on the second shelf in the closet."

"Great thanks!"

Emily found her way to the shower. She lathered in the hot water for a few minutes before washing her hair. About twenty minutes later she was dressed and ready to go.

"So, where to now?"

"Well, Steph and I know this great little bakery near campus we were going to take you to, and then walk around a little bit. You know, show you the campus. Sound good?"

"Yeah that sounds great!"

Emily grabbed her bag and meet the two out front. The walk from Alex's apartment to the bakery was only about a fifteen minute. Alex filled Emily in on the perfect places to stuff in the fall and the bakeries and coffee shops to check out on the way.

"So what's good here?" Emily asked looking at the menu board.

"Well if you're in the mood for something fatty and delicious I would try the caramel white chocolate mocha or the snicker doodle latte, and if you're daring enough the blueberry muffins here are to die for," Steph said, looking them out on the menu. Emily settled on a blueberry muffin and an Americano.

"So Steph's going to take you to the athletic building for your meeting and then I meet up with you after and we can go downtown and explore and stuff," Alex said.

"Yeah that sounds good. Are you going back to the apartment?"

"Yeah, I need to grab my swim bag. Do you need me to grab anything?"

"Yeah I left my forms in my bag. It should be in the front pocket."

"Alright, I'll be sure to grab it.'

"Thanks!"

Emily followed Steph to the athletic department. They were a few minutes early to Steph showed her around the facilities that each team had.

"Well, Mr. O'Neil should be with you any minute. Are you okay by yourself?"

"Yeah, for sure. Thanks for showing me around."

"Anytime. You have my number. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will."

"Cool, I'll see you tonight," Steph said, before leaving Emily outside the office.

Emily waited patiently on the bench for Mr. O'Neil to appear. He appeared moments later, and led Emily into his office.

"Emily, it good to finally have you here," he said, politely shaking her hand.

"It's good to be here!"

"So you're from Pennsylvania, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"I see you've been recruited by several PA universities…so why choose Berkeley?"

"Well, I wanted to get a away from the Midwest and try something new. I have a few friends attending universities around California. And Berkeley has an amazing swim team."

"Well, I'm glad that you've chosen to come here. You're prized to the team."

"Thank you sire."

"So how has Alex been treating you?"

"Wonderfully. She's really great."

"That's what everyone says about her. She's been doing this since sophomore year."

"Well, you definitely chose the right person for the job."

"So, let's get into the nitty-gritty stuff shall we," he said, opening an folder. "It says here that you're an economics major, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent. I love it when we have business majors. It makes life so much easier for us," he smiled. "So, I'm assuming that you've looked over the classes that you'll have to take to fufill your freshman requirements."

"Yes sir."

"And you're aware that there is a freshman seminar and an athlete class you'll have to take your freshman year."

"Yes."

"Great. Well, now we can just go over the gist of everything else," he said, pulling out a larger stack of papers, and flipping through them. Emily gave a small sign, and slowly began to stink back into the chair.

Paige heard knocking on her door of the room that she was staying in. She quickly rolled off the bed and opened it. Kelley was standing in front of her smiling.

"Morning sunshine! Time to swim," she said excitedly.

"I can't wait," Paige said, following Kelley into the kitchen, where breakfast was cooking. "Oh that smells good."

"Remember, light breakfast, and then after swim, we'll grab a real breakfast."

"Cool," Paige said, scooping herself a small bowl of eggs and a piece of toast.

"So did you talk to Emily this morning?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You just seem overly happy today," Kelley smiled.

"Well, I'm also excited to get in the pool and whoop your ass."

"Oh really," Kelley smirked. "You got nothing on me freshman."

"We'll see," Paige laughed.

The walk over to the natatorium was about a twenty-minute walk from Kelley's apartment. Paige had been in the natatorium numerous times, but this would be the first time that she had swam with the team.

She could feel the nerves starting to build up in her stomach. She quickly found an open locker in the locker room. The rest of the team was starting to gather, but the time she was dressed and ready to go.

"Time to show me those skill," Kelley said, walking passed Paige.

"Oh, I going to blow your mind," Paige said, joining in the line-ups.

The team did a quick round of warm-ups, before getting into the into the thick of it. Paige conserved her energy in the warm ups, and focused her mind set on the practice ahead of her.

She found herself on the starting blocks next to Kelley. They had arranged to do time trials for the following race, so determine line ups. Paige felt her legs push off the board as soon as the coach pull his whistle.

Her arms gracefully cut through the water. Her mind was completely at rest and focused on her breathing. She gracefully flips and put all her power into the pushing herself off the wall. The water flowed smoothly against her body.

Paige could see the end of the wall in sight. Pushing herself past her breaking point, and slammed her hand against the wall. When she pulled her head from the water, she just barely caught a glimpse of several of the other swimmers finishing.

"Damn, McCullers," Kelley said, pulling off her googles. "I guess I was wrong about you."

"I guess now you've got new competition," Paige laughed.

"I guess so," Kelley said, pulling herself out of the water. "Don't tire your self out too much, I think Coach has got you lines up for a few more trials."

"Oh, I'm just getting started," Paige said, hoisting herself from the water.

This was only the beginning of her four-year journey at Stanford, and she was destined to prove herself. The next three trials, she smoked a majority of the other swimmers. Some looked at her with bewildered expression on their faces, others welcomed her onto the team, and some started to grow a subtly hatred towards her.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a freshman come in a beat over half the team in trials," Coach Meehan said, looking at the time records.

"Thank you, sir."

"I hope that I will see more times like this."

"I can promise you, you will," Paige said politely.

"Excellent. Welcome to the Stanford Cardinals," he said, shaking my hand. "Please let me know if you need anything else during your stay."

"I will!"

"I look forward to seeing you this summer," he said, giving Paige a pat on the shoulder.

"Come on champ, let's get some breakfast into you," Kelley said, pulling Paige towards the locker room.

Paige quickly changed and showered, before meeting up with Kelley and a few of the other girls on the team for breakfast. Kelley took them to a café/lounge place were they ordered breakfast.

Paige listened to them tell their stories of their freshman year. The stories were also followed by laughs; some would bring tears. At the end of the meal, two of the girls, gave Paige $20.

"What's this for?" Paige asked looking at the money.

"A welcoming present," Kelley said, before handing Paige a twenty.

"Wait, I can't take your money," Paige said, trying to give the money back.

"Nope, it's yours," the girl said, refusing to take the money back.

"What for?"

"I guess you could say we lost a bet," the blonde said.

"And what would that bet be?"

"That the new girl couldn't beat the fastest swimmer on the team."

"Wait the fastest, who?" Paige asked. The girl pointed at Kelley who was smirking slightly.

"I beat you?"

"Hey, I like to think of it as beginner's lucky," Kelley said, pretending to wipe off the comment.

"Well, in the case, I will keep this money," Paige said pocketing it quickly.

"Oh, Kelley, you better watch out, this one's got some spice," one of the girls joked.

"Oh, don't worry. I think we'll get along just peachy," Kelley said, wrapping a shoulder around Paige. "Come on, we've got a campus to explore."

Emily found Alex waiting for her in the hallway with her papers. She quickly took them, and gave them to Mr. O'Neil, before heading out with Alex. They walked around the campus for a few hours, while Alex showed her all the 'cool' places to got, or place that not a lot of people knew about, or places were you could meet up with friends. Alex took Emily through the business building, and showed her some of the class rooms, and a few of the dining halls.

It was around six o'clock when they got back to Alex's apartment. Steph was sitting at the table doing her homework, and another girl that Emily didn't recognize, sitting on the couch.

"I'm just going to take a quick shower, and then we can leave?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Emily said, making her way up to JJ's room. She quickly changed out of the outfit that she was wearing and changed into jeans and a shirt, and put on a light layer of make-up. By the time she finished, she heard Alex's door open and close.

"Hey Em, how'd it go today," Steph said, offering Emily a seat on the couch.

"Great, but I'm exhausted. I didn't think I could be so tired, just from listening to someone talk."

"Yeah, Mr. O'Neil, can put anyone to sleep," Steph laughed. "Oh, Emily, this is Avery."

"It's nice to meet you," Avery said, shaking Emily's hand. "So, you're swimming here next year, I hear."

"Yeah, that's the plan," Emily smiled. "Do you play a sport?"

"Yeah, I'm on the soccer team."

"Nice!"

"Well, I see you've two already met," Alex said, coming down the stairs. "Hey babe." Alex gave Avery a quick kiss on the lips before taking a seat on the couch.

"So, Emily, do you have anything in particular you'd like to do?"

"Well, I'd definitely like to check out the marina."

"We can definitely do that. They've got some nice little restaurants there if you like seafood."

"Yeah, that sounds delicious," Emily said, patting her rumbling stomach.

"Already, let's go before hanger strikes," Alex said, grabbing her purse.

Emily sat in the back seat with Steph, while Avery sat up in the front with Alex. Avery held Alex's hand as they drove downtown. It made Emily miss Paige even more. She pulled out her phone and sent her a quick text.

About twenty minutes later they decided on a nice little sushi restaurant near the water. They sun was just starting to set, when they sat down. Emily watched as the sun slowly set, taking a few sneaky pictures along the way.

They all fell into to simple conversation while they eat their food. Emily made sure to put this restaurant on her list of places to take Paige. Once they had finished eating, they walked around the town for a little while, and did some window shopping. Emily grabbed a present for Paige and parents along the way.

"So have long have they been together?" Emily asked Steph, as they walked behind the two.

"It's coming up on three and a half next month," Steph said.

"Wow."

"Yeah I know. I'm slightly impressed. They've had a fair share of ups and downs, but in the end I honestly can't see them with anyone else, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do."

"So, do you have a lucky someone?"

"Yeah, her name's Paige," Emily said, showing her a picture.

"Hey I remember seeing her," Steph said, looking at the picture closely.

"She's swimming at Stanford next year."

"Yes! I remember seeing her name on some recruitment stuff. So, that must be interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, dating someone on a major rival."

"I guess. I never really thought about that," Emily said, thinking about what Steph had said. "I guess we'll just have to see where things take it."

"You seem like the type of person that swims for the joy, not for the award."

"Yeah, I've always swam for fun, so had Paige. I guess it turns out we're actually good at doing something for fun."

"Then, you two will be just fine," Steph assured Emily. "Trust is the key to surviving."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys, I figured since I finished writing this chapter yesterday, I would upload it for you today because I've been really bad about uploading in the past. I'm just going to post whenever I finish a chapter, but I promise that there will be at least one chapter every week! Thanks for being awesome and I hope you are enjoy the story! Let me know what y'all think. Also looking for some awesome prompts for a few more stories.**

 **Chapter 17**

Emily awoke feeling refreshed and ready to swim, but she was more excited to see Paige again. It'd only been a few days, but she missed her more than anything. Alex was waiting for her in the kitchen when she arrived. She had made a small breakfast for the two of them.

"Excited for today?" Alex asked, taking a seat next to Emily at the counter.

"A little nervous, but ready," Emily said, taking a bit of French toast.

"Don't worry too much about it. You've still got 4 years to swim with us," Alex smiled.

"Do you know what I'm swimming?"

"My guess is that Coach will have you swimming individual events to see your times, and then maybe you'll be put on a relay. Some of the swimmers are out due to injury, so maybe she'll put you in their line-up."

"Really?"

"Of course, Coach knows how much potential you have. Why not show a little bit of it, you know get the team going?"

"If you say so."

"Trust me, I was in your shoes three years ago," Alex replied.

Alex was right. Coach Meekver put Emily in a few individual line-up and two relays. By the time she had finished her first event, she had swimmer starting at her in amazement. In the last relay she swam, she broke a university record, but 0.58 seconds for the fastest lap completed.

She heard people whispering around her as Coach Meekver double checked her time sheet.

"Well I'll be damn," she said, looking up from her papers. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Breaking school records already Emily."

"I have a feeling it won't be the only record she breaks," Alex said, appearing at Emily's side.

"I look forward to seeing this," Coach Meekver said, laughing. "I look forward to seeing you for pre-season training. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will and thank you," Emily said, shaking Meekver's hand.

"Damn girl, look at that," Alex said. "You're definitely giving the team a run for their money."

"Am I giving you a run for your money?"

"Well, you're going to have to break a few more records before I start getting scared," she mused.

"Well, I've got one year to do."

"And…many records to break," Alex said, heading into the locker room.

Emily walked past the different plaques on the wall. Each of them held a name with a time. Emily examined them closely. She found Alex's name on many of the plaques, almost every other one.

"Just how many records have you broken?" Emily asked.

"Too many to count," Alex said, wringing out her hair. "But, I'm sure your name will appear on those plaques in a few months."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see," Emily smiled.

Emily quickly showered and found Alex waiting for her in the lobby. Emily's flight was that evening, but the team treated her to a late lunch, and they decided to walk around campus a little more, before they headed back to Alex's apartment.

When Emily went to grab her things from her room, she found a brunette sitting at the desk in the corner.

"Hey, you must be Emily," she said, turning around when she heard Emily enter.

"Hi," Emily said, awkwardly shoving her hands into her pockets. "You must be JJ?"

"Yup," she said standing up to shake Emily's hand.

"Ah, I see you've meet JJ already," Alex said, peeping into the room. "Hey JJ, how's the game go?"

"2-0 win," JJ said smiling.

"Nice!"

"Thanks! So Emily how has your stay been?"

"Good. A lot different than I thought that it would be."

"Well, we aim to please, or at least Alex does," JJ joked.

"Hey, I'm just charming," Alex said, walking away.

"Sure," JJ mocked. "Well, I'm glad that you enjoyed your stay. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around next year, and you're always welcome here."

"Thanks!" Emily said, grabbing her bags. "By the way, you have a really comfortable bed."

"Mattress pad. It's definitely a worthwhile investment," JJ replied.

"Dually noted. Thanks for letting me crash in here."

"Any time."

"I guess I'll be seeing you around," Emily said.

"We will," JJ smiled.

Emily took her bags downstairs and met Alex out by the car. Alex tossed her bags in the back seat before joining Emily up front.

"So, I hope you had a good time," Alex said starting the car.

"Are you kidding me? I had a great time," Emily said happily.

"Well, I'm glad you did. You've definitely made some jaws drop out there today. I don't think I've seen some of those girl so shocked before."

"Well, I'm hoping to make a few more jaws drop in the next four years."

"I don't doubt that you will. Just make sure that you time manage your life, or else you'll end up swimming in your life, rather than in the pool."

"Speaking from personal experience?"

"Freshman year, I was wild. Trust me, it was a rough one, but once I drew a line between social life, and work, it got so much easier."

"Got it," Emily said, making another mental note.

"You'll do great, and like JJ and Steph said, if you ever need anything, just call or show up, or whatever. We'll be there."

"I will," Emily said thankfully, "Thank you."

"Anytime," Alex said.

The ride to the airport was about 45 minutes, but Emily was counting down the minutes until she would see Paige. Paige was already at the airport, when Emily and Alex got on the highway.

Alex followed Emily into the terminal to meet up with Paige and Kelley. When Paige spotted Emily, she shouted her name.

"Paige!" Emily said, wrapping her arms tightly around Paige.

"Hey!" Paige laughed, pulling Emily closer. From the corner of her eye she could see Alex and Kelley greeting each other with a hug.

"God I missed you," Paige whispered into Emily's ear.

"I missed you too."

"Well, from the looks of it, I would have guessed that you two haven't seen each other for years," Kelley said, clearing her throat before bursting into laughter.

"Kelley, this is Emily," Paige said, playfully punching Kelley.

"It's nice to meet you Emily," Kelley said, hugging Emily. "I've heard so much about you."

"Really? Good things I hope," Emily said, looking at Paige.

"Oh really good," Kelley smirked. She received another punch from Paige. "Ow!"

"Don't mind her, she's just missing that special something in her life," Alex laughed.

"Watch it Alex," Kelley laughed. "I know things about you and Avery."

"Oh and I know about that secrete little toy in your bottom drawer," Alex laughed.

"No…how?" Kelley asked shocked, before laughing.

"Well, I'm glad you two came out this weekend," Alex smiled.

"Yeah I had a great time."

"Before you leave, the team had a little something they wanted to give you," Alex said, holding out Emily's backpack.

"My backpack?" Emily asked, confused.

"It's in the backpack. I didn't have enough time to wrap it," she said, giving Emily her pack. Emily opened it and found a Berkeley swimming t-shirt, and a hat, along with a stuff golden bear.

"Thanks Alex," Emily said, pulling Alex into a soft hug.

"Take care of yourself, and don't hesitate to call."

"I will!"

"And for you Paige," Kelley said, holding out a gift bag.

"Aw, Kelley," Paige said opening the bag, to find a similar gift. Kelley had gotten her a Stanford swimming shirt, hat, and a cardinal t-shirt."

"Thank Kelley!"

"Anytime Paige," Kelley said, pulling Paige into a hug. "I guess I'll see you in a few months."

"I look forward to it."

The two said their goodbyes to one another, before making their way over the security. Emily watched Alex and Kelley walk out of the airport together, laughing at something the other had said. It gave her hope that even though they're rivals they can still good friends.

Paige held Emily's hand as they walked through the airport. They grabbed something to eat before taking a seat at their gate.

"So did you make some jaws drop this weekend?" Paige asked.

"Well, I broke a record."

"What? Emily, that's incredible!" Paige said, hugging Emily.

"Thanks! What about you? I'm sure you made some jaws drop."

"I gave Kelley a run for her money, but I definitely made a few jaws drop."

"Paige that's great!"

"This is going to be an interesting year."

"Yeah, it is," Emily said, looking down at their connected hands. "When do you start pre-season training?"

"Beginning of August, you?"

"Middle of August."

"Well, if you want, you could come to Stanford a week early and stay with me before going to Berkeley."

"Yeah, I'd like that a lot."

"Me too," Paige said, giving Emily a chaste kiss. "God, I don't know how I'm going to live if you're not near me," Paige said, looking at their laced hands.

"Hey, we'll see each other on the weeks, and we'll see each other at meets. And I'll see you for a whole week. We won't be apart for too long," Emily said, stroking Paige's cheek. "We've come this far. I think we can make it a little further."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Paige, are you sure this dress is okay?" Emily asked, waving the dress in the air.

"Yes, Em, don't worry, it'll be fine," Paige said, appearing from the bathroom in a summer colored romper.

"It's not too short is it?" Emily asked, pulling at the hem of the dress.

"Hey," Paige said, placing her hands on Emily's waist and spinning her around to face her. "You look beautiful." Paige gently kissed Emily before, smiling. "It's just dinner with my parents, okay?"

"Okay."

"Relax, they'll love you," Paige said stroking Emily's check gently.

"Okay, let me just put on some make-up," Emily said, walking into the bathroom.

Paige took a seat at Emily's desk and looked around the room. There were only a few weeks before graduation. Emily had started to take home a few of her things, but pictures of the two of them were hung everywhere. Paige's favorite was resting in a sliver frame of Emily's desk.

"That's definitely my favorite picture," Emily said appearing from the bathroom.

"Me too. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a while," Paige said, looking at her laughing figure.

"You were crying," Emily laughed, pulling Paige into her arms.

"Hey, if I was crying, then you were peeing your pants."

"What!" Emily said, playfully pushing Paige away.

"Come on Em, let's go. We're going to be late," Paige said grabbing her purse.

"Only if you give me a kiss."

"Come here," Paige said, kissing Emily. "I love you."

"I love you more," Emily said, kissing Paige back, before following her out of the room.

Paige grabbed the Uber that was waiting outside Emily's dorm. The ride to the restaurant was about twenty minutes away. Paige's parents were already waiting for them at their table.

"Relax," Paige whisper into Emily's hand. Emily felt Paige's hand gently lace with hers.

"You must be Emily," the man said, getting up from his chair. "I'm Nick, and this is my wife Christine."

"It's nice to meet you," Emily said shaking both of their hands, before taking a seat next to Paige.

The waiter came around a few minutes later and took their orders. Emily could feel the butterflies starting to build up. Paige must have sensed it, because she gently laid a hand on Emily's thigh, calming her instantly.

"So Emily, Paige's tells me that you swim as well," Christine said politely.

"Yes, I've been swimming ever since I can remember. Paige helped me get on the team when I first moved here."

"Where did you move from?"

"Fort Hood, Texas."

"Army?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, my dad's a lieutenant in the Army."

"So, I hear that you'll be swimming at UC Berkeley this fall."

"Yup! I'm very excited to swim at the collegiate level."

"Emily broke a university record during her visit," Paige said happily.

"Hey, you were cracking out amazing times too," Emily said nudge Paige. Paige caught her mother smile at the gesture.

The food arrived a couple of minutes later, halting the conversation. Paige's parents asked Emily and an array of question about her life and future. Emily figured that this meeting would be an interrogation, but she found Paige's parents easily going. It wasn't hard to keep a conversation going.

"So, can I interest you girls in any desserts?" Nick asked, holding out the dessert menus.

"I think I've got a little room left," Paige said looking at Emily.

"Split?" Emily asked.

"Of course," Paige said, taking a menu. They skimmed through it briefly before deciding to split a slice of raspberry cheesecake. This interaction did not go unnoticed by Christine and Nick. They smiled softly at each other.

They eat the dessert slowly, savoring its flavor. Nick slipped slowly on an espresso, while Christine had a small bowl of sorbet.

"Well, I'm glad you girls could join us tonight," Nick said, gathering his belonging. "It was really nice to meet you. I hope we see you soon."

"Likewise," Emily said, shaking Nick's hand.

"Good luck at Berkeley," Christine said, pulling Emily into a hug.

"Thank you. I look forward to seeing you soon."

Paige and Emily decided to walk around the city a little bit before returning to campus. They grabbed a bench at the local park, and watched the sun set.

"It wasn't that bad was it?" Paige asked, wrapping her arm around Emily.

"Not at all. Your parents are very nice."

"They sure know how to keep a conversation. I hope you didn't feel like you were being interrogated.

"Not at all," Emily said, resting her head on Paige's shoulder.

"I like this," Paige said, looking up at the sky. "We should do this more often."

"We should, but next time it will be on the beaches of California, with the sun setting over the ocean."

"I can't wait," Paige said, kissing Emily gently.

They sat there until the cold wind started to chill their bodies. Paige wrapped her jacket around the too of them.

"Are you hungry?" Paige asked, as they walked.

"What? We ate like two hours ago," Emily laughed.

"Well I know this great pastry shop. It's around the corner. They sell amazing macaroons."

"Oh, you do know how much I love macaroons," Emily said, listening to her slightly growling stomach.

"Come on, my treat," Paige said smiling.

Paige watched as Emily pressed her face close to the glass and examined all of the macaroons. Paige let out a soft laugh, which caught Emily's attention.

"What?" she asked smiling.

"You're too cute," Paige said, smiling back.

"You love me," Emily mocked.

"More than you know," Paige whispered to herself.

Emily continued to look through the glass like a child before deciding what she wanted. She ordered half a dozen and split them with Paige.

"Mmmmhhh," Emily moaned, savoring the bite. "So good! Here try this one."

Paige took a bite of the macaroon that Emily was holding in front of her. The flavor filled her mouth and a smile appeared on her face.

"Good right?" Emily laughed.

"Delicious."

The macaroons came as quickly as they went. Paige and Emily grabbed an Uber outside of the pastry shop, and headed back to campus. Paige hand rested gently on Emily's thigh.

"Hey Em?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you want to, maybe, stay over?" Paige asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Emily whispered, giving Paige's hand a squeeze.

The Uber pulled up in front of Paige's building. They slowly walked until they reached Paige's door.

"Are you roommates here tonight?" Emily asked, taking a seat on the couch.

"No, Syd's at a friends, and the rest of them have a meet," Paige said, taking off her shoes and coat. "So we can do whatever you'd liked."

"Anything?" Emily asked, leaning back on the couch.

"Anything," Paige said, sitting next to Emily.

"Well, since you said anything…" Emily said, smiling slightly, "I am a little hungry."

"Still…?" Paige laughed.

"Hey, a girl's gotta eat," Emily smiled.

"What sounds good?" Paige asked, getting up from the couch.

"You," Emily said pulling Paige back down. Paige straddled Emily on the couch.

"Yeah?" Paige said, running her hands slowly through Emily's hair.

"Yeah," Emily said, pulling Paige closer to her. Paige felt Emily's lips press gently against her. A moan escaped her lips.

"God, I've wanted to do that all night," Emily said, pulling away.

"Are you still hungry?"

"For you…always," Emily smiled, pulling Paige towards her.

Emily felt Paige's arms wrap tightly around her. The sunlight was shining brightly into the room. Paige's warm breath tickled the back of Emily's neck. Emily rolled over to face Paige. To her surprise, Paige was already awake smiling back at her.

"Hey," Paige whispered.

"Hey."

"How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Wonderful, now that you're next to me," Paige said pulling Emily in closer.

"Sweet talker," Emily laughed.

"I try my best," Paige laughed, "besides, you love my sweet talking."

"I do," Emily said, running her fingers up and down Paige's bare shoulder.

"I hope last night wasn't—"

"Last night was perfect," Emily said, stopping Paige. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Be honest Em," Paige said, stroking Emily's cheek gently.

"Your parents are lovely, and I had a great time. Besides, I got macaroons in the end, so I would say that it couldn't have ended better."

"Well, then I guess I know how to make any night a good night."

"It's the little things that make this perfect," Emily said, kissing Paige gently.

"God, I love you," Paige said, smiling back.

"I love you more."

"How about breakfast?" Paige offered.

"Only if there's coffee."

"As you wish my princess," Paige laughed as she rolled out of bed.

Emily watched Paige's every move as slowly moved about the room. She watched as Paige stretched her arms over her head, before reaching down to touch her toes, giving her an excellent view of Paige's backside.

"I see you looking," Paige laughed.

"What can I say, I've got an excellent view," Emily laughed.

Paige made her way over to her dresser and threw on an oversized t-shirt over her sports bra and shorts.

"Was the shirt necessary?" Emily asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Of course not," Paige said, climbing back into bed next to Emily. "But I figured, if Syd came back and we were both unclothed…there would be too many questions asked."

"I see," Emily said, pulling the over Paige's head. "I'll take the questions."

"Oh, really," Paige said, smirking slightly.

"Yeah," Emily said, pulling Paige closer. "Besides, I want to be able to touch these all the time." Paige felt Emily's hands rake across her abs.

"I would never deny you of that," Paige laughed. "Now, shall we eat?"

"We shall," Emily smiled, taking Paige's hand.

Emily followed Paige into the kitchen, holding tightly onto Paige's hand. Paige pulled her into the kitchen and gently hoisted her onto the countertop.

"So what sounds good?" Paige asked, leaning in slightly.

"What have you got?" Emily asked. Paige made her way over to the refrigerator and took a quick look inside. "French toast, omelets, cereal, yogurt…"

"How about omelets?" Emily suggested.

"I'll make the eggs if you cut up the veggies…?"

"Fine Paige, give me the onion," Emily said rolling her eyes and laughing.

Paige gave Emily a goofy smile before passing her and onion and the cutting board. She washed some peppers and ground some cheese, while Emily slowly cut the onion.

By the time Emily had finished cutting the onion, her eyes were watering uncontrollable.

"Hey come here," Paige said, wiping away Emily's tears with a damp cloth.

"God, I hate onions," Emily said taking the cloth from Paige. "And by the way, I'm not crying."

"Uh huh…" Paige laughed.

Paige gathered the onions and pepper and threw then in a saucepan, before cracking a few eggs. Emily wrapped her arms around Paige's waist, and rested her head on Paige's shoulder.

They didn't even notice the door open and close. Sydney popped her head into the kitchen. A smiled appeared on her on her lips as she watched the two. She quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a picture, before turned towards the closet. She rustled the coat hangers loud enough for them to hear.

"Syd? That you?" Paige asked from the kitchen.

"Yeah," Sydney said, coming into the kitchen. "Oh what smells good?"

"Omelets, you want one?" Paige asked motioning to the cooking omelet.

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all. Give me a few minutes," Paige said, going to the fridge to get more eggs. Sydney made of note of Paige's half-naked state, along with Emily's half-clothed self. She watched the too interact, the playful touches, the smiles and laughs. It made her happy to see Paige like this after all she'd been through.

"So how was your night?" Paige asked, grabbing an extra plate.

"Good, we ended up staying in and watching a movie. What about your night? Anything fun happen? How was dinner with your parents?"

"Better than expected, but at least I know what will make Emily's day."

"Oh yeah…and what would that be?"

"I guess you'll just have to guess," Emily smirked, taking a seat next to her at the counter.

"Oh, I'm sure that I'll figure it out," Sydney laughed.

"I doubt it," Paige laughed.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello! So I sped wrote this chapter so I know there are errors in it! I just wanted to get it up for you! I hope you all enjoy!**

 **To answer some of your question: Yes I will will writing more stories, don't you worry! I currently have a couple ideas brewing right now, but if you got suggestion I'd love to hear them!**

 **This story should be about 30 chapters, I'm guessing. They'll be a lot of time jumping, but I'll be sure to let you know how much!**

 **I just wanted to send out a big thanks for being such awesome readers and for supporting all of the other authors out there. I love their stories just as much as you do!**

 **THANK YOU!**

 **Chapter 19**

Emily felt herself starting the sweat under her gown. The summer sun shown brightly over the football field. She could felt the sun baking her back.

"Emily, there you are! We've been looking everywhere for you," Aria said, appearing next to Emily. Hanna and Spencer soon followed.

"It's impossible to find anyone! Everyone literally looks the same," Hanna said, looking into the see of blue gowns and caps. "We need to get a picture together before we all go up on stage."

"Alright ready," Hanna said pulling out her phone.

Hanna ended up taking about a hundred photos in five minutes. She arranged everyone and took individual pictures, and any other type of picture imaginable. Emily had had her fair share of pictures when Hanna finally put away her phone. The only thing that was on her mind was finding Paige. She hadn't seen her since her left her room this morning.

Emily kept looking for Paige in the crowd, but everyone was wearing blue gowns and had their hair down that it was impossible to tell who was who.

"Alright, everyone make your way to your places," Mr. Fitz shouted.

Everyone began to move into their places for the introduction walk. Emily found herself standing close to Spencer. If she looked back far enough she could just make out Hanna's blonde hair, but no Paige.

"Hey, don't worry Em. She's here," Spencer said, giving Emily's shoulder a squeeze.

"I know. I just wanted to see her before we graduate."

"Wait until we seat, you should be able to see," Spencer said looking back.

The music began to play, and the line of students started to move. They took their steps carefully and organized, so that their gowns swayed in unison. Emily took a seat in her assigned seat, with Spencer sitting directly behind her. She looked back eagerly, and spotted Paige walking into the aisle of chairs behind Hanna. Paige looked absolutely beautiful. Her wavy sunbaked brown hair rested perfectly on her shoulders. She had just the right amount of make-up on to make her features pop. Emily could see a portion of her white dress, but lost sight of her when Paige took her seat.

"Have you seen Emily yet?" Hanna asked Paige.

"I haven't. You'd think that with only what like 75 seniors graduating, you'd be able to find something."

"It took us at least half an hour to find Emily, but I think that jaw of yours will drop when you see her," Hanna smirked.

"Hanna why is your mind always so dirty."

"Sorry, can't help it. It must be the genes or something," Hanna said, causing Paige to laugh.

"I hope you come out and visit us in California," Paige said, wrapping her arm around Hanna.

"Oh, you can bet I will!"

Paige sat quietly along with the rest of the students as the principle gave her graduation speech. She felt her phone vibrate against her chest.

 **Emily: You look absolutely stunning 3**

 **Paige: I'm told you look stunning as well. I can't wait to see you in person!**

 **Emily: I think your jaw might drop ;)**

Paige craned her neck to try and get a better look at Emily. She found Spencer, and then Emily. She could just make out Emily's raven locks, and were protruding from her blue cap.

 **Paige: I think it already has :)**

 **Emily: 3**

Emily glanced behind her quickly, but couldn't see Paige at all. She quickly text Hanna and asked her to give her an indicator to where she was sitting. A few moments she spotted Hanna's blonde hair as she mixed her cap. Emily leaded a little to her left and caught a quick glimpse of Paige. She had a light smile resting on her lips as she stared straight ahead. 'God', Emily thought to herself, 'what am I going to do when Paige is at Stanford?'

"Now, I'd like to present your Valedictorian, Spencer Hastings," Principle Graves said through the microphone.

Paige watched as Spencer got up from her seat and made her way to the podium. She could now see Emily's back clearly.

"I'd like to start off today with thanking each and every one of you for everything that you've done for Rosewood Prep. It wouldn't be the same with you…" Spencer spoke.

Emily remembered when Spencer was writing her graduation speech. She had all of them read over it to make sure that it wasn't too formal or Spencer-ey. Emily practically knew the speech.

 **Paige: Your hair looks beautiful**

Emily turned around to see if she could see Paige, but was unsuccessful. However, Paige waited eagerly for Emily to turn around and when she did, her heart skipped a beat. Emily looked absolutely stunning. Paige could make out the straps of her white dress that matched perfectly with her tanned skin. Her make-up brought out the color of her brown eyes and soft complexion.

 **Paige: I wish I could kiss you rn**

 **Emily: I'll be waiting by the trees after. Come find me**

The class listened to Spencer's graduation speech and applauded her once she had finished. Many people were surprised by Spencer's speech. It wasn't the type of speech that Spencer would normally give. It was congratulatory and relaxed.

"I am now pleased to present you with your four years of hard work," Principle Grave said, as the diplomas were gathered. "Hilary Ames, University of Chicago. Mallory Austin, Providence College, Women's Hockey…"

The students rose by rows, and walked onto the stage once their name had been called.

"Emily Fields, University of California, Berkeley, Swimming and Diving," Principle Grave said. Emily walked swiftly onto the stage, praying that she wouldn't trip on her gown. She heard Hanna's, Aria's, Spencer's, and Paige's voices through the round of applause. A bright smile appeared on her face. She tried to locate Paige and Hanna, but the sun prevented her from seeing anything.

"Spencer Hastings, Harvard University," the principle said, handing Spencer her diploma.

Spencer and Emily returned to their seats, and waited for Hanna, Paige and Aria to received their diplomas. Emily finally spotted the three of them making their way to the stage.

"Hanna Marin, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City. Paige McCullers, Stanford University, Swimming and Diving…Aria Montgomery, Oberlin College…"

Emily watched as they received their diplomas and shook the principle's had before leaving the stage. She watched as Paige exited the stage. She knew that Paige couldn't see her, due to the angle of the sun.

"It gives me great honor to present these diplomas. You may now move your tassel. Congratulation Class of 2010! Great adventures await all of you!"

There was a roar of applause and caps began to fly into the air as the music started to play. Spencer gave Emily a hug as they made their grand exit from the field.

Emily made her way over to the trees and waited patiently for Paige. It was only a few minutes later when Emily spotted Paige coming up the hill. Emily didn't have to think twice before running down and greeting Paige with a kiss.

"Congratulations Em," Paige said, breaking the kiss. "And you look absolutely beautiful." Paige took her time examining Emily. She had unzipped her gown to reveal her white lace dress.

"Come here," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige's neck. Paige responded by wrapping her arms around Emily's waist.

"Oh my god! You guys are so cute," Hanna said taking a picture.

"Well, there's always Hanna to ruin the mood," Emily said smiling slightly.

"Come over tonight?" Paige whispered. Emily nodded, before turning to face Hanna.

"Come on, cute couple pick," Hanna said excited.

"Ready to make a run for it?" Paige asked, turning to look at Emily. Emily smiled before hopping on Paige's back. Hanna was able to snap a few pictures of them before they 'ran away'.

"Paige there's someone I want you to meet," Emily said, holding Paige's hand as they walked across the field. Paige followed Emily into the stands were all the parents were still gathered. Paige spotted Pam Fields instantly. There was a taller man standing next to Pam, which Paige assumed was Emily's father.

"Dad," Emily said, wrapping her arms around the older man.

"Emmy, you look beautiful!" he said smiling.

"Dad, I want you to meet someone," she said motioning towards Paige. "Paige, this is my dad. Dad, this is Paige."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Fields," Paige said extended her hand for a shake. She was slightly surprised when Mr. Fields gave her a hug instead.

"Oh please, call me Wayne," Wayne said laughing. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Emily tell me all about you."

"Good things I hope."

"Wonderful things," Wayne smiled. "So are you girls excited to head out to California in the fall?"

"Extremely!" Paige smiled.

"Your family's from there, correct?"

"Yes, they're actually here right now," Paige said, glancing around the crowd of parents. Paige spotted them talking to Hanna's parents over by the concessions. "I'd actually like you to meet them, if that's alright with you."

"Of course honey," Pam smiled.

Paige lead Emily's family in the direction of her family. When Paige's mom spotted her coming towards them, a smile broke out on her lips.

"Mom!"

"Paige," Paige's mother shouted excitedly, as she wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter.

"Congratulation sport," Paige's father said, wrapping his arms around Paige.

"Mom, Dad, this is Emily," Paige said introducing them to Emily. "These are my parents, Christine and Nick. And these are Emily's parents, Wayne and Pam."

"It's a pleasure to meet Pam," Christine said, shaking Pam's hand.

Paige and Emily's parents struck up instant conversations. Wayne and Nick ended up talking about some business, politician thing, while Christine and Pam talked about home décor.

"Well, at least our parents get along," Paige laughed, looking the parents.

"We're going out to dinner in Philly," Emily started, "Join us."

"I don't want to intrude on your family time."

"Paige, you are family," Emily said, nudging her slightly. "It'll give out parents a chance to get to know each other better before they send their daughters off to college and hope that they make the right decisions."

"Okay," Paige smiled, before planting a gentle kiss on Emily's cheek.

Paige's family joined Emily's family for dinner that night. Paige and Emily's parents got on extremely well. They always seemed to have something to talk about, whether it was an embarrassing childhood story about their daughters, or just something personal in general. Laughs could be heard through the course of dinner. After the they finished dinner, the topped it off with ice cream.

Emily said good-bye to her parents, who promised that they would be there the following evening to help her move out. Paige's parents ended up driving them back to their rooms, since their hotel was near campus.

"Bye, mom, bye dad, I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast," Paige said, giving both of her parents hugs.

"It's was a pleasure meeting you. We're looking forward to see you in July," Christine said, giving Emily a hug.

"Good luck at Berkeley," Nick said, shaking Emily's hand.

"Thank you, sir."

Paige walked Emily to her dorm and waited for her to change into something comfier. When Paige entered Emily's room, she noticed that most of Emily's things were packed. The only thing that seemed to remain was her bed, and some of the things in her desk and closet, but everything else had been packed into bag.

Paige was even shocked to see the Hanna was mostly packed as well. She remembered sophomore year, when they were moving out. Hanna hadn't even packed when the director of the building came by and gave a two-hour warning.

When they got back to Paige's placed, Emily noticed that it was oddly empty. A lot of the things in the living room and kitchen had been removed. The TV and couch were no longer in the living room. The only thing that remained was a coffee table, a carpet, and a lounging chair.

Haley's and Kelsey's rooms were both empty. Sydney's room was packing into boxes that covered her floor.

"Has everyone moved out?"

"Haley and Kelsey packed up their things yesterday, and left after graduation. And Sydney's spending the night with her boyfriend, before he goes back to Washington."

When Emily entered Paige's room, she noticed that most of Paige's things were also packed. Paige's rummaged through a box for a minute before finding a part of shorts and a t-shirt. While Paige changed and took off her make-up, Emily took her time to look around Paige's room.

She would miss all the night they spent in here. Paige's floor was cluttered with boxes and bags. Her desk and closet was empty. The only thing that still remained was her bed and TV.

When Paige returned, she took a seat on the bed and motioned for Emily to return. Emily curled up next to Paige and let her run her fingers through her hair.

"So when do you head back to California?" Emily asked, looking at Paige.

"Sunday. My parents drove out here, so they're going to take most of my things back tomorrow, then I'm leaving the following day."

"Where are you staying?"

"Here."

"Stay with me," Emily whispered. "Please…"

"Okay…" Paige whispered back, smiling.

"How am I going to survive this summer without?"

"We'll make it work. I promise," Paige said, giving Emily's hand a squeeze. "And you're coming out to visit in July for a week."

"It seems so far away."

"I know, but time will fly. You'll see, soon we'll be living in the same state, and I'll get to see you on the weekends and take you on walks, and we'll get to each as many as macaroons as we want."

"You better be serious about the macaroons."

"I am," Paige said, kissing Emily's forehead. "I would never joke about macaroons."

"It's only 7 weeks," Emily said, lacing her finger's with Paige.

"7 weeks…"


	20. Chapter 20

**Let the summer begin for Paige and Emily and the rest of you! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know what you think :)**

 **Chapter 20**

Paige felt the sun warm her face. The sun illuminated the white curtains, sending in a godly light. Emily was still asleep next to her. She let herself take in the beauty of her girlfriend. Paige gently tucked a strand of hair behind Emily's ear.

"I'm going to miss waking up next to you," Emily whispered, her eyes still closed.

"Me too," Paige whispered, kissing Emily's forehead. "Come to breakfast with me."

"I don't want to intrude."

"You won't be. Like you said, you're family Emily."

They lay there for another hour before Paige was finally forced to get out of bed. She quickly took a shower and changed into a clean pair of shirts and a shirt. When she returned, Emily was fully dressed and sitting of the end of Paige's bed. Paige took a seat next to Emily.

"There something I want to give you," Emily said, looking at the tiny box she was holding in her hands.

"Em, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I know. I just wanted to get you something to remember me by, a sort of promise," she said, holding the box out to Paige.

Paige carefully took the box from Emily and unwrapped it. Inside was a small gold ring. Paige gently pull it from it's case and examined it. _My world, my heart, my love_ was engraved inside next to their initials.

"I love it," Paige said, putting it on her ring finger. "Thank you."

"I promise to love you Paige," Emily said, pulling Paige into a deep passionate kiss.

There was a loud knock of the door of Paige's suite. Paige got up from her bed and went to answer the door. Her parents were standing in the door way.

"Hey mom, hey dad," Paige said, letting her parents in. "I'm almost done packing."

Paige lead her parents to her room. Emily was packing up the rest of Paige's clothes.

"Good morning Emily," Christine said, giving Emily a warm smile.

"Good morning Christine!"

"Well, where should we start," Nick said looking at the boxes and bags.

"Let's take these. They're the heaviest," Paige said, pointing at a pile of boxes.

"We'll let you two do the heavy lifting," Christine said, joining Emily in packing the rest of Paige's things.

Paige and Nick carried the heavy boxes down while Christine and Emily packed the rest of the clothes and miscellaneous items. It only took them an hour before Paige's room was completely empty.

"We'll met you too downstairs," Christine said, following next downstairs.

"Thanks mom, we'll be down in a few minutes."

Emily followed Paige back into the suite. Paige looked around the room for a few minutes.

"Wow, I can't believe that this is where is all started," Paige said, looking about the empty room. "It's weird to think that I won't get to spend another night here."

"I know, but we have a whole new chapter of our lives waiting for us," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige from behind. "Think, one day, we'll have our own place, and we'll get to wake up to each other every morning."

"I can't wait," Paige said kissing Emily gently.

Paige followed Emily out of the suite that contained so many of their memories. She took one more look around before closing that chapter of their life.

Breakfast with the McCullers was exactly like dinner the night before. Paige's parents were easy to get along with, although Emily could tell that Nick was the stickler of the family.

Once breakfast was done, Paige said goodbye to her parent before they headed back to California. They dropped the two back off at campus before leaving.

"What time are your parents coming?" Paige asked, walking Emily to her room.

"They said they'd be here around 4pm, but I think they're going to some military fundraiser at 7" Emily said, looking at her watch. She still had a few hours to finish packing.

"Alright, I need to do a few things before I leave," Paige said, looking at her watch. "Would you kill me if I did a few quick errands before your parents arrive?"

"Of course not," Emily replied. "I still need to finish packing."

"Ah, I love you! Thank you!" Paige said, kissing Emily. "I'll be back in an hour."

Emily watched as Paige quickly hurried down the hall. She wished the Paige would have stayed with her, but whatever Paige had to do must have been important.

"Well Paige's in a hurry to get somewhere," Hanna said, coming into the room. "Did you scare her off already."

"Very funny Hanna," Emily said, started to fold her laundry. "She had an errand to run before my parents come."

"Must be a pretty special errand," Hanna joked.

"I'm surprised to see that you're actually packed," Emily said changing the subject.

"Well, I guess fourth times a charm," Hanna smiled.

"What time are you leaving?"

"Well, I have to make a few trips to get all of this stuff home, so…probably not for a few hours."

"How did you even fit all your stuff in this room?" Emily asked, looking at all the boxes and bags that Hanna had packed.

"Remember I'm a fashion expert, who also knows how to pack," Hanna said, grabbing a few bags.

Emily finished packing the rest of her things, before helping Hanna bring down some bags and boxes. Surprisingly, Hanna was an excellent packer. She managed to fit a majority of her stuff on the first trip.

Paige returned about an hour after she left. She seemed a little winded as if she had run from place to place.

"Jesus Paige, what have you been doing?" Hanna asked standing in the doorway looking at Paige.

"I told Emily an hour, and my hour was almost up," Paige said, panting slightly. Emily's heart was warmed by the fact that Paige tried to keep to her promise of only being gone for an hour.

"You can take a seat on the bed," Emily said, motioning for Paige to rest for a few minutes. "God, what did I do to deserve you?"

"You told me the truth," Paige whispered.

"Alright you too love bird, enough lovey-dovey, and more packy-packy," Hanna said, clapping her hands together. Paige couldn't help bursting into laughter, while Emily gave Hanna the death glare.

Emily's parents showed up a little after four. Hanna had already said her goodbyes and promised the she would come out to California to see them. It only took 20 minutes to get everything into their car. There was just enough room for the four of them to squeeze in.

The drive back to the Field's house was relatively quiet. Paige and Emily just tired to enjoy the company of each other one last time. When the got the Field's house, Wayne and Paige unloaded Emily's things, while Emily helped her mother prepare for the military fundraiser.

"So you excited to swim at Stanford in the fall?"

"More than excited. It's been a dream of mine."

"Emily tells me you're a talented swimmer, like Olympic talented."

"I hope one day I'll get to go, but for now, I just want to enjoy the time I'm given."

"I wish I was young again."

"What are you talking about. You're a spring chicken."

"I like you Paige," Wayne said laughing. "I don't think I've been Emily this happy in a while."

"Emily told me about Maya, and I just hope that I can make her happy again."

"You already have," Wayne said, resting a hand on Paige's shoulder. "Just promise me that you'll be good to my Emmy while she's out in California."

"I promise."

"Alright picture time," Emily said, pulling out her mother's camera.

Paige watched from the kitchen as Emily took pictures of her mom and dad, laughing and make goofy faces. It warmed Paige's heart to see that love really does last forever. Pam and Wayne looked like they were the happiest couple.

"Paige get in here," Emily called, motioning for Paige to come into the living room.

"Here mom, can you take a picture?" Emily asked, handing her mom the camera.

"Of course honey!" Pam said taking the camera. "Alright, I want to see the goofiest faces you two can make."

Paige didn't think that Pam was serious, until she looked at Emily and saw her making a goofy face. She quickly contoured her face to make Emily's before Pam snapped the picture.

"Oh lord, this is one for the books," she laughed. "Alright one more!"

One more turned into about ten more. Paige didn't mind documenting the memories that they were sharing, in fact she wished that she'd taken more pictures of the two of them.

"Have fun!" Emily said, giving both of her parents a hug before they left.

"Don't stay up too late," Pam called from the car.

Emily closed the door behind them, and returned to the living room. Paige was sitting on the couch going through the photos that they just took.

"Don't worry, I'll send them to you," Emily said, taking a seat next to Paige.

"Your mom was right," Paige said, holding up the camera, "this one is for the books."

"Yeah," Emily smiled, looking at the picture. "So, are you hungry?"

"How about we make some popcorn and watch a movie?" Paige suggested.

"I could do that," Emily said walking into the kitchen.

Paige made her way up to Emily's room and dropped off her bag. She remembered the last time that she was in her, and a smile creped onto her lips. She dropped her things on an empty chair and waited for Emily to return.

Emily appeared a few minutes, but she returned empty handed. She closed the door behind her and locked it.

"Is everything okay?" Paige asked, making her way to Emily.

"Paige…" Emily whispered. "I love you…"

"I love you too…" Paige said, brushing some of the hair from Emily's face.

"I don't want you to leave," Emily confessed. "I've gotten to used to waking up next to you, to you holding my hand, to you kissing me. I don't want to let go of that."

"I know," Paige croaked. "I want you to know something. You're the smartest, strongest, most beautiful, caring woman that I've ever met. I fell in love with you, before I met you. And I know that California is a long way away, but I'm only a phone call or text away. Nothing's going to change, Em…God, I'm so madly in love with you." Paige gently wiped the tears that were starting to stream down Emily's face.

"Kiss me," Emily whispered. Paige obeyed, kissing Emily's lightly.

The kiss become heated quickly, and Emily found herself being pushed up against her door. Paige's hands wandered across her bare stomach. Emily's hands were tangled in Paige's hair, trying desperately to pull her closer.

Paige wrapped Emily's legs around her waist, and carried her to her bed. Emily pulled Paige's shirt over her head, before pulling her down on top of her. Paige felt Emily's hands roam over her bare skin. Her hands quickly found their way to the hem of Emily's shirt and pulled it gently over her head.

A moan escaped Emily's lips as Paige sucked gently as Emily's pulse point.

Emily's hands raked across Paige's hand leaving their own mark.

"Emily…" Paige panted, pulling back slightly.

"I'm ready Paige," Emily said, kissing Paige's passionately.

"Do you trust me?" Paige asked, resting her hand at the hem of Emily's shorts.

"With all my heart…"

Emily heard Paige's alarm echo throughout her room. She felt Paige roll over and quickly silence it.

"Is it morning already?" Emily asked sadly.

"I'm afraid so," Paige said, rolling over and wrapping her arm around Emily's waist.

"Do you think that we could just lay here for a few more minutes," Emily pleaded.

"As you wish," Paige said, kissing Emily's neck gently. Paige was pleased when she saw the mark that she had left on Emily.

They laid there for a few more minutes for finally getting up. Paige tried to do everything at a slower pace so that she could prolong her time with Emily. But in the end, time always runs out.

Paige found herself at the airport terminal, holding on tightly to Emily's hand. Time always runs out, when we don't want it too.

"Thank you for last night," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige's neck. "I'm sorry about the scratches."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Last night was amazing and to be honest they kinda turned me on," Paige said, laughing a little.

"Well, at least your marks are easy to cover up," she said pointing to bruise on her neck.

"Next time I'll be more careful," Paige said, kissing the bruise.

"I'm going to miss you," Emily said resting her forehead against Paige's.

"Me too, but we're only apart for 7 weeks," Paige said trying to reassure Emily.

"Be safe when you're in California, and call me when you land," Emily said looking desperately into Paige's eyes.

"I will. Be safe and don't let Hanna get you into too much trouble."

"I'll try not too."

"I'll see you soon, okay?" Paige said, kissing Emily.

"See you soon," Emily replied, pulling Paige in for one last hug.

Emily watched as Paige made her way to the security checkpoint. Paige looked back and waved before disappearing through the gate.

Emily tried to keep it together on the drive home, but the tears start to flow as soon as she put the car in park. Both of her parents had gone to church, so she took the time she had to cry. She missed Paige already, and it felt as if she heart had broken a little inside.

When reached her room, she noticed a small rectangular box laying at the end of her bed. The letter that rested on top had Paige's writing on it.

Emily took a seat at the end of her bed and opened the letter.

 _Emily,_

 _Where do I even begin? There was a point in time where I felt as if my_

 _world had stopped spinning. My life was on a never ending cycle of repeats,_

 _until I met you. You make my world go around in more ways than one, and I'm_

 _truly grateful for everything you've done. You, Emily Fields, are the key to my_

 _heart, the love of my world, and I want to say that we'll be together for a very_

 _long time, until we've grown old and our hair has turned grey. I love you Emily_

 _Fields, and I'll see you soon!_

 _Paige_

Emily wiped tears off the Paige. She pressed the letter to her heart and let her tears flow freely. Emily placed the letter in the drawer of her bed side table, before opening the box that Paige had left. Inside was another small written note.

 _I wanted to give you this is person, but I knew that if I did, I wouldn't have been able to leave you. I love you._

Inside the box, there was a similar ring to the one Emily had gotten Paige. Emily glanced at the engrave, and smiled when she read it, _"As you wish."_


	21. Chapter 21

**Hellooooo! So happy to get this chapter up! I hope you like it. I'm still looking for more prompts for my next story!**

 **Love you all! Enjoy reading!**

 **Chapter 21**

Emily felt the summer sun warm her face as she sat in her window seat. It was only second week of summer, but the past two weeks had felt like years to Emily. Emily's room still had unpacked boxes and bag scattered around the floor.

"Emmy, you in there?" Emily heard her father ask.

"Yeah."

"How ya doing kiddo?" Wayne asked, taking a seat next to Emily.

"I really miss her dad," Emily said, resting her head on her father's shoulder.

"I know…" Wayne responded, wrapping his arm around Emily's shoulder. "Back in the old days when your mother and I were dating, the summer's were the hardest. Your mother lived in Chicago, and I lived in Texas, and now I'm in Texas, and she's in Philly. The hardest thing to do is say goodbye to someone, especially if you're not sure whether or not your going to see them again. I know it hurts, trust me, every time I leave my heart breaks a little. But the time I get to spend with you and your mother is the time that I cherish. The time that I'm given is what I look forward to the most, even if it's only for a day or two. Time will fly, and soon you'll be getting off that plan and into Paige's arm…"

"Thank daddy," Emily said, kissing her father on the cheek.

"I'm always here if you ever need someone."

"Okay."

"I love you Emmy."

"I love you to dad."

"Make sure that you look after yourself too, okay?"

"I will."

"Now, your mother and I are going out for dinner if you'd care to join us."

"I'm good. I should actually finish unpacking my things," Emily said, looking at the pile of boxes.

"We'll make sure to pick something up for you," Wayne replied, kissing the top of Emily's head.

"Thanks."

Emily waited to Wayne to leave the room before she grabbed her laptop, and searched for some up beat. She ended up picking a driving playlist had Paige had made a few months ago.

Emily grabbed a few boxes and bags and placed them on her bed. Almost all the boxes and bags that remained had her clothes. The rest had been put in the attic for her to take to college.

Emily slowly started taking her clothes out and laying them on the bed. Once she had empty all the boxes and bags, there was a huge mound of clothes resting on her bed.

"Jesus lord, how do I have all these clothes?" Emily whispered to herself. She rested her head in her hands momentarily. She grabbed an empty box and started to throw clothes that she was never going to wear again into. Emily found that most of her clothes ended up in the box.

After about an hour she was left with a smaller mound of clothes. Satisfied with her work, she started to fold the clothes and put them in her dresser.

A beeping from her computer, got Emily's attention. She picked up her laptop and noticed Paige's face in the middle of her screen. She quickly accepted the call, and Paige's face appeared on the screen.

"Emily!" she said happily.

"Paige!"

"I was doing some work and saw that you were online…" she replied still smiling.

"Well, I'm glad that you did. I'm drowning in clothing," Emily said showing Paige the box and mound of clothes.

"Wow, I think you own more clothes than I do," Paige joked.

"So what have you been up to?" Emily said, taking in her window seat.

"Working…swimming…missing you…working…missing you," Paige said. Emily could tell by the paint in the background that Paige was in her room on her bed. "What about you?"

"Well, I snagged a job working at the brew. I work there a couple days a week and visit Hanna, Spencer, and Aria when I'm there. Coach Fulton let's me use the pool whenever I'm in town. And I think I've shaved about a second off my time."

"Emily that's incredible! Berkeley's lucky to have you."

"We'll you better watch out, I might beat you one day," Emily joked.

"One day," Paige laughed. "So what else have you been doing besides working and swimming?"

"Well, at the start of the school year, I made this long summer reading list. I think I've gotten through about 8 of the 75 books on that list."

"Jesus, do you just read all day?"

"Well, it's not like I have anything else to do. Most of the time my mom and I just sit outside and read."

"Awww, that's too cute," Paige smiled.

"Yeah, I figured I'd spend some quality time with her before I leave. After all, she's going to be all alone once I leave."

"You're an amazing daughter, you know that?"

"Yeah, I try at least."

"So what about you? What else have _you_ been doing besides missing you, working, and swimming?"

"Well, all the late-night shifts at the bar really do a number on you. I usually get back around 3am, and the sleep until like 2pm, then go to work around 8pm. Thank god they give me the weekends off. I think I would actually die if I worked 7 days a week."

"Well I better not to rudely awoken at night when I come to visit."

"Well, you're in luck, because I got the whole week off," Paige smiled. "I'm all yours."

"I like the sound of that," Emily smiled deviously. "God why can't the weeks go by fast."

"I know. I wish they would," Paige said, playing with the ring on her finger. "So you never told me what Hanna said when she saw the bruise I made."

Emily had meet Hanna for coffee a few days after Paige left. And Emily being Emily, forgot to put a layer of make-up over the hickey. It was one of the first things that Hanna noticed when she saw Emily. Hanna had texted Paige a compliment about Emily's enormous hickey.

"I think she was happier than shocked. I couldn't tell. She just kept this awkward smile on her face when I told her what happened."

"Well that's Hanna for you," Paige laughed. "Always trying to get the juicy details."

"So have you talked to Hanna?"

"Yeah, we talk regularly."

"Oh yeah, and what do you talk about?"

"You, work, just random stuff really. She tells me all about her fashion expeditions, and everything she does with Caleb. I think they're actually going on vacation together or something."

"Yeah, Hanna mentioned that they were driving down to South Carolina for a week or somewhere around there."

"I can't wait until we go on a road trip!" Paige said excitedly.

"And where would be road trip too?"

"Well there are a few little place I know in California that I know. Oh, and there are some great places in Oregon and Washington. Oh and don't forget about Canada," Paige said excitedly.

"Well, how about when I come out this summer, you take me to one of these places."

"I would really love that."

Paige and Emily talked for a few more hours before Paige had to get ready and go to work. The time difference was a little bit of a challenge for them. Three hours doesn't seem like a big difference, but when Paige was getting back from work, the sun was just starting to rise in Philly. On the weekends they spent more time together, and usually Emily fell asleep talking to Paige.

Emily's dad was right, Emily cherished the time that she got to spend with Paige, whether it was on the phone, FaceTime, or even texts. Every second she cherished.

"Emily, honey, you awake?" Emily heard her mother ask, knocking slightly on the door.

"Yeah, mom, come in."

"Hey, sweetie. We brought you back some dinner. I can heat it up if your hungry."

"That's been great," Emily said, following her mother downstairs.

"So how was dinner?" Emily asked, noticing that her dad was in a suit and tie.

"It was lovely. Your father ordered us this amazing salmon dish." Emily thought back to her and Paige's first date. The dish that Paige ordered her.

"I guess we both have a love for salmon," Emily laughed.

"Oh really, since when?" Pam asked amazed.

"Since I met Paige. We went to this fancy restaurant near campus. They had the best salmon I've ever tasted."

"You know Emmy, I'm glad you found Paige. After everything you went through with Maya, you deserve be happy."

"Paige makes me unbelievably happy."

"Oh to be young once again," Pam laughed.

"So what's Paige up to this summer?"

"She's bartending at this restaurant and training."

"That's great!"

"Yeah, she's been working late hours, so we don't get to talk that much during the week."

"I know. It can be hard sometimes, but you two are strong. You'll make it!"

"Five weeks seems like such a long time."

"In no time, you'll be boarding that plane. I remember when your father and I lived on opposite sides of the country. I would count the days until a hopped on a train or plane to see you father. A hundred days soon turned into ten, then five, and then before I knew it I was getting on a plane to visit him."

"How did you and dad meet?" Emily asked, taking a seat at the table.

"Well, it was the summer before we all left for college. And a group of my friends, went down to Florida to do some service work. You know one last hoorah before we all left."

"So let me guess, you two met on the beach and fell in love," Emily said, making lovey-dovey noises.

"Of course! A few on my friends went to this beach luau for our last night, and what do you know your father's there. We danced all night. And then well, I went back to Chicago."

"You didn't get his number or anything?"

"Well, back in my day we didn't have cellphones or computers."

"So what happened?"

"Well, I spent the rest of the summer trying to find a Wayne Fields, but in the end, I gave up and embraced the time that we spent together that night. Then I went off to college, and what do you know, Wayne Fields was sitting right behind me in Psychology."

"AWWWW!"

"I remember finding this slip of paper of in my bag that afternoon."

"What'd it say?"

"Can I take you out to dinner? –Wayne."

"Stop, oh my god!"

"And well, after that we starting dating, and 30 years later…"

"AW!"

"You'll find love just like your father and I."

"I think I already have," Emily smiled.

Both Pam and Wayne were right. 35 days, soon turned into 20, then 15, 10. Emily tried to keep herself busy with work and friends. She found that the heartache soon stopped, and she found herself quite busy. She picked up a few more hours at the Brew, and spent more time with Hanna, Spencer, and Aria, but she made sure to keep her weekends free for Paige.

"So, are you excited! Only one week left!" Paige said excitedly.

"I can't wait! I think my parents are getting annoyed by how antsy I am."

"We get ready because I've planned out a few things to do."

"Road trip?"

"Maybe. You'll just have to wait and see," Paige smiled. "Trust me, you'll really enjoy them."

"Oh! I'm sure I will."

"I can't believe how quickly time flew."

"I know. I remembered how slow the first two weeks were, but now it's as if time is on our side once again."

"I can't wait to hold you, and kiss you!"

"God, I've missed that."

"One week. I promise!"

Emily kept herself very busy for the next week to the point were she was busy from the time she got up to the time she went to bed.

"So Em, you ready for some Paigey love," Hanna asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"More than you know it."

"Have you packed yet?"

"Yes and no."

"Well, let's see what you've packed," Hanna said, making her way up to Emily's room.

Hanna examined the clothes that Emily had packed. She pulled out a few, before going to Emily's dresser and looking through it.

"Alright, let's see. A few of these outfits will do, but these…" she said tossing some clothes aside. "Okay, let's see."

Hanna began rummaging through a few drawers, before making her way over to Emily's closet.

"Oh this sundress will be perfect! Oh and this shirt, and I guess this flannel."

"Maybe I should let you pack my bags."

"Don't you worry. It will all fit."

Hanna and Emily packed the rest of Emily's things. Surprisingly everything managed to fit in Emily's swimming duffle.

"Alright, now I got you a little something," Hanna said holding out a bag.

"Hanna, please tell me this isn't what it looks like," Emily said, taking the bag.

"Well, I wish I could, but everyone need something sexy to spicy up their night."

"Hanna. I don't even know if Paige is into this."

"Well, I do. After you live with someone for a year, you learn about them."

"Okay first of all ew, and second, Hanna you're straight."

"Doesn't mean I don't have eyes and ear. Just trust me on this one."

"Fine," Emily said, packing the bag.

"Good! So what time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"My flight's at 3, so around 1 I think."

"What time does your flight get in?"

"Seven, California time."

"And Paige is picking you up at LAX?"

"Yup!"

"Oh! Em! You're going to have so much fun! Call me when you land okay."

"Of course! Thanks for help me pack and everything."

"Any time."

Emily could hardly sleep that night. She spent most of the time tossing and turning, wishing that time would go by faster. She was up before the sun came up. The spent most of the morning packing and repacking, making sure that she had everything. She put the special gift that bought Paige, in a special pocket.

"Emmy, breakfast's ready," Wayne said, knocking on Emily's door.

"Thanks dad, I'll be down in a minute."

"So sweetie, how'd you sleep last night?"

"I don't think I slept."

"Trust me the night before I went to see your mother, I didn't sleep a wink," Wayne said, smiling on Emily.

They ate breakfast as a family. Emily relished in the fact that her family was back together. Her father was leaving at the end of August to return to Fort Hood, and in December he would be in Virginia.

Emily helped her mom clean up breakfast, before showering and getting ready. She chose a comfy pair of shorts, and a shirt, before throwing on Paige's sweatshirt. Emily felt her phone start to vibrate on her nightstand.

"Hey babe."

"Hey! I can't wait to see you!"

"What time does you flight come in again?"

"7."

"I'll be there waiting!"

"I can't wait!"

Emily felt herself bouncing up and down in her seat. Her hand tapped impatiently against her knee as the plane began to descend. When the plane landed she quickly unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her things, but the line to get off the plane was long.

About twenty minutes later, Emily finally stepped onto the terminal. She quickly made her way down to baggage claim. Emily found Paige waiting for her near the exit.

"PAIGE!"

"EMILY!" Paige shouted, practically running up to Emily. Emily felt Paige's strong arms wrap around her. "God, I've missed this." Paige gently cupped Emily's face and gave her a much needed kiss. Emily felt a tingling sensation spread throughout her body. She'd missed that feeling.

"God, I've miss you," Emily said, kissing Paige once again.

"Here let me carry something," Paige said, taking Paige wrapped her arm around Emily's waist as they made their way towards Paige's car.

"There might be a little bit of traffic. But we should be back in about an hour."

"As long as I'm with you, I don't care," Emily said, kissing Paige's cheek.

"I really have missed you."

"Me too," Emily said, kissing Paige's free hand.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys next chapter is up! So excited! I just wanted to let y'all know that I won't be posting a chapter next week. 4th of July and all. I'm really sorry, but I promise you I'll be back to regular updates after the 4th.**

 **Also a NEW STORY is in the works, so I'm hoping to get that story up as soon as I finish this one. I think you'll all like it or at least I hope you will. It's mainly about Emily discovering herself, but also the struggle of discovering who you are. I think it would be a good story to help support those who are also questioning who they are.**

 **I want to get some personal feedback on this. I know everyone's coming out is different, and I want to include some other gay characters in my story...so who should be gay? or major plot twists? I've outlined my story, but I would love to add more or less. Feel free to PM or Comment with ideas, stories, feedback, etc. I really want to make this a good one.**

 **Chapter 22**

"Em." Emily felt someone shaking her slightly. She opened her eyes and saw Paige. "Hey you fell asleep on the ride home." Emily glanced out the window and noticed that they were parked in front of a house.

"I'm so sorry Paige. I didn't mean to."

"Em, don't worry about it," Paige said laughing slightly. "You've had a long day, and with the time difference, I don't blame you."

Emily slowly got out of car and went to grab her bags, but Paige stopped her.

"I got them." Emily nodded. Paige grabbed Emily's bags and let her towards the house. Emily followed Paige up the stairs towards her bedroom.

Emily felt her body collapse onto the bed. Paige dropped off Emily's things before joining her. Emily curled into Paige's open arms.

"I'm sorry I'm no fun right now," Emily said, stifling a yawn.

"Hey, as long as you're here. I don't care," Paige said, kissing the top of Emily's head.

"I missed you so much," Emily said, wrapping an arm around Paige's stomach.

"I missed you too."

A few hours later Paige felt Emily's breathing even out, and soft snores filled the quiet room.

"Paige?" Paige heard her mother from the other side of the door. The door opened slightly and Paige's mother peaked her head into the room. When she noticed that Emily was asleep in Paige's arm, a small smile appeared on her lips.

"Do you need anything?" Christine whispered. Paige shook her head. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Paige mouthed back. Christine closed the door behind her and shut off the lights.

The only light coming into the Paige's room was the light from the setting sun. Paige relished in the moment. It'd been almost two months since she last saw Emily. All the FaceTime calls and texts was nothing compared to the real thing.

Paige ran her finger gently through Emily's long raven hair, admiring her sleeping beauty.

"I love you Emily Fields," she said kissing Emily's forehead.

Emily awoke before the sun was up. She took her time waking up, admiring Paige's sleeping figure. Paige had one arm wrapped around Emily's waist, while the other one was tucked under her head.

Emily gently untangled herself from Paige and made her way to the bathroom. She grabbed a change of clothes from her back and took a quick shower. Paige was still asleep with Emily got out of the shower. Emily laid back down next to Paige, and wrapped her arms around her.

It was a few hours later, when Paige finally began to stir. She opened one eye and then the next, a smile appearing on her lips.

"Hey," she croaked.

"Hey."

"How long have you been up?" Paige asked noticing that Emily was in a new change of clothes and smelt oddly like her shampoo and conditioner.

"A few hours. I guess that time difference really does hit you," Emily said, smiling.

"As long as you're with me," Paige said, curling up closer to Emily. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than ever."

"Good," Paige sighed. "Good…"

Paige slowly crawled out of bed and made her way towards the shower. Emily sat patiently on Paige's bed until Paige was out of the shower. Paige threw on a pair of shorts and t-shirt. There was a gently clawing at the door that got their attention.

Paige opened the door and a giant chocolate lab came bounding into the room and up onto Paige's bed. Emily squealed a little, when the dog nestled up close to Emily. Paige laughed.

"Ellie, down," Paige commanded. Ellie gently removed herself from Emily and sat patiently on the bed.

"So this is Ellie," Emily said, scratching Ellie behind the ear.

"Yes, the one and only," Paige laughed. "So, breakfast?" Paige asked, standing at the foot of the bed.

"That sounds lovely," Emily said, taking a hold of Paige's hand.

Emily followed Paige downstairs. The faint smell of eggs and bacon hits Emily's nose. Christine was in the kitchen manning the bacon that was sizzling on the griddle.

"Ah, it smells delicious mom," Paige said, giving her mother a quick hug before taking a seat next to Emily.

"Emily it's great to see you."

"It good to see you too!"

"How was your flight?"

"Pretty smooth actually. I'm sorry I didn't see you last night. I didn't sleep much the night before and the time difference didn't really help that much."

"No worries dear, it's completely understandable. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Water would be lovely!"

Emily enjoyed in light conversation with Paige and her mother. Ellie curled up at the foot of the stool that Emily was sitting at and would occasionally lift her head and lick Emily's feet. They talked about their summer and what they had been up to since they had been apart. Christine got caught up on all the good gossip that was happening.

"So what have you girls got on the agenda for the week?" Christine asked, clearing the table.

"Well, I was thinking that today we could go and explore town a little bit, and then maybe head up to Big Sur tomorrow for a few days."

"Big Sur, that would be perfect!" Christine said happily. "Have you seen much of California Emily?"

"Just the part around Berkeley."

"Oh, then Big Sur will be a lovely place to go. We used to take Paige and her brother there all the time when they were younger."

"I can't wait."

Emily and Paige spent the rest of the day wandering around Cypress. Paige showed her all the places that she used to hang out, they explored a few coffee shops and visited some of the local places around. Emily found Cypress very different from Fort Hood or Rosewood. It was more modernized that she was used to.

The sun was starting to set when they finally made their way back to the house. Christine was in the kitchen once again cooking a late dinner on the grill. Emily took a seat in the hammock, while Paige helped her mother with dinner.

"So, how was your day?" Christine asked, placing the dinner on the table.

"Great, we when to some of the local bakeries and then some shops," Paige said, pouring a few glasses of water.

"Is your dad not joining us?" Emily asked, noticing that she hadn't seen Nick since she got to California.

"Oh, no, Nick is on a business trip. He'll be back later this week."

The three sat outside and enjoyed a nice dinner. Emily help Christine clear the dishes after dinner.

"Well, I'm wiped," Christine said. "I think I'll call it a night. You two enjoy the rest of your evening."

"Thanks mom!" Paige called from the doorway.

"Thank you for the breakfast and dinner. They were delicious."

"Oh you're very welcome sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow."

Emily made her way back outside and joined Paige on the hammock. They lay there for a minutes.

"Are you cold?" Paige asked, noticing that Emily was curling up closer to her.

"No, I just wanted to be closer to you," Emily replied shyly.

"Come here," Paige said rolling over and opening her arms to Emily. Emily curled up next to Paige, and wrapped an arm around Paige's waist. Paige began running her fingers through Emily's long raven hair.

"How I ever told you how much I've miss you?" Paige asked.

"Yes, but I wouldn't mind here it again," Emily laughed.

"Well, maybe I didn't miss you that much" Paige laughing, giving Emily's side a pinch. She let out a yelp, before playfully punching Paige.

"Okay, okay, I miss you a lot," Paige said, kissing Emily.

"Kiss me again?"

"As you wish," Paige whispered, cupping Emily's face gently. The kiss the soft and gentle, but full of passion. Emily felt Paige's hands start to wander.

"Paige…" Paige withdrew her hand from underneath Emily's shirt.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away…" Paige said shyly.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Em, it's okay," Paige said, trying to reassure Emily. "Really."

Paige fiddled with the ring on her finger while her mother made breakfast. Ellie curled up next to Paige on the couch. Emily was still asleep when Paige awoke; she figured that it'd be best to let her catch up on some sleep.

"Is Emily still asleep?"

"Yeah, we stayed up a little too late last night. I figured I let her try and shake the jetlag."

"It's so nice to see you happy again."

"Thanks mom."

"So are you ready for Big Sur?" Christine asked.

"I think so."

"Well I pulled out some of the camping stuff in case all the cabins are booked. And I grabbed some extra things from the grocery store."

"Don't worry mom, I already got that planned out, but I'll take them just in case."

"Well if you need anything, you'll call won't you?"

"Of course I will. Don't worry, mom."

"A mother always worries," Christine laughed.

Emily appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later, still dressed in her pajamas.

"Oh good morning Emily."

"Good morning," Emily said, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Hey you," Paige said happily.

"Hey." Emily took a seat on Paige's lap. Ellie rested her on Emily's lap.

"Sleep well?"

"Very," Emily smiled.

"Can I get you anything?" Paige asked. "Coffee?"

"Ah, coffee sounds wonderful right about now."

Paige got up and poured two cups of coffee. Christine set the table for breakfast, and Emily went back upstairs to shower.

It was a few hours later before Paige and Emily were in the car heading towards Big Sur. Emily held on to Paige's free hand for most of the ride, unless Paige was shifting lanes or turning.

"So Big Sur? Tell me about it?"

"It's this beautiful wooded area. My parents and some family friends would always rent out a cabin for a week in the summer when we were younger. Some of my happiest memories were made in Big Sur. It's a place that will seem like a dream," Paige said, smiling. "You're going to love it."

Emily listened to Paige tell all about Big Sur and the fun things that she did with her brother. They have a river that runs by the end of the camp ground that Paige and her brother, Patrick, used to fish on.

Emily watched out the window as the exit for Big Sur appeared. They drove another 45 minutes before they entered a wooded area. Paige was right; it looked like it came from a dream. High trees surrounded the small camping area. Emily could just make out a few cabins in the distant. There were several communal areas, and a large fire pit in the middle of the camping grounds.

"Here," Paige said, getting back into the car. Paige handed her a pamphlet of the camping area. Glen Oaks. "We're in the little cabin, right here." Paige pointed to the little house figure on the map.

They drove for about five minutes before pulling up in front of a small house. Emily admired the small brown cabin. The sliding door, revealed a bed in the center of the house and a small kitchen and dining area. Beside the house was a small fire put with a few chairs around it.

"Wow," Emily exhaled, taking in her surroundings.

"I'm glad you think so," Paige said, wrapping her arms around Emily's waist.

"This place is beautiful."

"Come on, let's get everything inside," Paige said.

"How about, I get everything. It was a long drive and you need to rest."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am," Emily said, giving Paige a quick kiss. "I got it. Don't worry."

Emily grabbed their things from the trunk and began bringing them inside. Paige took a seat in one of the chairs surrounding the fire pit, and admired her surroundings.

"Here," Emily said, handing Paige a glass of water.

"Thanks."

"This place is incredible," Emily said, taking a seat next to place.

"It is. I forgot what I felt like to be here," Paige said, looking at the sky. Emily sensed that this place meant more the Paige than she was letting on.

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" Paige asked. Emily nodded.

Paige took them down one of the trails that led to them to the river. Emily held on tightly to Paige's hand as they made it down the rocky hill. Emily heard the sound of running water, and the sound of laughing children.

A few moments later, and a river came into view. Emily stopped a few children playing on the other end of the bank.

"This place keeps getting better and better," Emily said, relishing in the nature and beauty."

"I'm just glad that I get to share it with you."

"This place seems special to you," Emily said, probing lightly at Paige's past.

"Yeah, a lot of things happened here," Paige said, playing with the rocks beneath her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay. This was the place where I learned that being different was okay, to just accept myself for who I am. Did you ever a place like that?"

"Yeah, there's this running path near the military base, and goes through the woods, and brings you to this beautiful lake."

"Show me sometime," Paige said, taking Emily's hand.

"I'd like that."

Emily snuggled herself between Paige's legs and rested her back against Paige's front side. Paige wrapped her arms around Emily and rested her chin in the crook of Emily's shoulder. Everything was perfect, the sound of the running water, then smell of Emily's shampoo, the warmth Paige felt coming from Emily, everything about this moment was perfect for the both of them.

Emily took a deep breath in, closing her eyes and leaning into Paige.

"This is perfect," Emily whispered.

"It is."

Paige glanced around at the people enjoying the water and scenery around them. There was a family sitting near them with some children playing in the water. One of the girls slowly started to approach the two of them, holding a small device in her hands.

"I know that this is weird," she started, coming up next to Paige, "but I took a picture of the two of you…and it came out really great."

Paige smiled at the small girl and told her that it wasn't weird at all. The girl showed Paige and Emily the pictures that she had taken of the two of them. They were all polaroid.

"These are incredible," Emily said looking through the pictures. "Paige we should become models or something."

"Here, keep this one. I think these came out the best," the girl said holding out two of the pictures.

"Are you sure?" The girl nodded. "Why, thank you!"

"No problem! Thanks for letting me take pictures of you."

"No worries. Let us know if you want any more," Paige laughed.

"This picture is beautiful," Emily said, holding the picture up for Paige to see.

The picture was a close-up of the two from the side, the river and the run were visible in the background and the polaroidness of the picture made everything more perfect.

"Do you think we can hire her to take more pictures of us?" Paige said, looking to see where the girl had gone.

"I would definitely recommend her."'

"At least we'll have something tangle from this visit," Paige said, kissing Emily on the cheek.

"I always have you…" Emily smiled.

"And I always have you…"

They sat there until the sun had disappeared behind the trees and the air chilled. They slowly made their way back to their cabin, holding each other's hands and goofing around.

"How about I make us a quick dinner?" Emily said, changing into a pair of jean and a sweatshirt.

"…And I'll start a fire."

Paige grabbed some of the firewood that was next to the cabin, and got a fire going. She grabbed her speakers and hammock and strung it up between two trees, facing the fire. Flipping through her phone she found some relaxing, calming music to listen too.

"Wow, the fire looks great!" Emily said, opening the sliding glass door.

"And the food smells great!"

"Well, I just reheated some of the food that your mom packed us."

"It smells even better."

Emily took a seat next to Paige in the chairs surrounding the fire. They ate quietly, enjoying each other's company. Paige gathered the dishes, while Emily stoked the fire.

Paige returned a few minutes later and offered her hand to Emily. Emily looked at the hand in confusion.

"Dance with me?" Paige asked. Emily took Paige's hand. Paige wrapped her hand around Emily's waist and pulled her closer, swaying to the gentle music. Emily's arms wrapped around Paige's neck, and she rested her head on Paige's shoulder.

"I love this," Emily whispered.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys! I'm back and I'll be posting weekly until the story is finished! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what y'all think! :)**

 **Chapter 23**

Emily enjoyed the next few days they spent at the cabin. They spent most of the days exploring the forests around them and swimming in the river. The nights were full of love, dancing by the fire, and pleasuring each other.

Emily was saddened when the day came for them to pack up their things and leave. She was going to miss this beautiful place, but she was sadder about the fact that she only had a few more days left with Paige. These days had gone by so quickly for them, that they forgot about the fact that they were leaving each other, and wouldn't see each other until the middle of August.

Emily took the first leg of the trip back to Paige's house. Paige had gotten up early that morning to pack everything up and make sure that the cabin and fire pit were clean before they checked out.

Paige sat peacefully in the passenger seat, looking out the window and admiring the scenery. Every now and then she would glance over at Emily to make sure that she was okay. A few hours in to the drive, Paige and Emily switched. Emily held onto Paige's hand for the rest of the ride home.

It was already dark when they pulled into the driveway, but all the lights were on in the McCullers's house. Paige grabbed their bags from the back and led Emily inside.

"Hey mom, we're back," Paige called from the mudroom.

"Oh wonderful! Are you girls hungry? I just finished putting the dinner away, but it's still warm if your hungry."

"That would be great! Is dad already in bed?"

"Yes, he has an early meeting tomorrow."

"Okay, cool. We're just going to drop our things off," Paige said, heading towards the stairs.

Paige threw their bags into the corner, and started changing out of her outfit and into sweats. Emily grabbed an extra pair from Paige's drawers and did the same. When the girls returned downstairs, Christine had heated up the leftover dinner.

"So how was it?"

"Amazing. I don't think I've ever been in a place like that before. It was beautiful."

"Isn't it! I've been meaning to go back there, but I've just never found the time," Christine said, reminiscing.

They told Christine all about their time at Big Sur, well most of their time. Christine listened intently, smiling and nodding. Paige smiled at the conversation that her mother and Emily were having. It seemed so genuine.

"Alright girls, I'm exhausted. Make sure you get to bed at a reasonable time," Christine said yawning. "I'll leave some breakfast for you in the fridge."

"Thanks mom," Paige said, getting up and giving her mother a hug before she went to bed.

Paige cleared their dinner dishes before following Emily back up to her bedroom. They took a seat on Paige's bed and skimmed through the list of movies she had.

"So, what have you got in mind for tomorrow?" Emily said, nestling herself next to Paige.

"I was thinking we could have a chill day. If that's okay with you?" Paige said, yawning.

"Of course. I'd be nice to slow down and just enjoy this time," Emily said, pressing the play button.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't mind if we went to pool and did some laps for a little would you. I'm suppose to be on a strict routine, that hasn't been so strict."

"Of course not! I should probably get into the pool if I want a shot at beating you this season."

"Good luck with that," Paige smiled. She received a playful punch in the ribs from Emily. "Ow!"

"Oh sorry, did I hurt my precious swimmer?" she cooed, lifting up Paige's shirt and kissing the spot where she had punched Paige.

"You could never hurt me," Paige whispered, kissing Emily on the forehead. "Even if you tried."

Paige was fast asleep before the movie was halfway through. Emily admired Paige's sleeping figure and brushed her fingers gently through Paige's auburn hair. She felt a rush of emotions run through her body. In a few days she would be back in Rosewood, and Paige would here in California. She wished that she could have spent a few more days with Paige, but a week was as much time that they were able to give themselves.

She rested her head gently on Paige's chest and listened to Paige breath in and out. The sweet sound, slowly carried her into a deep sleep.

Paige awoke the next day with Emily curled up next to. The sun was pouring in the room from the opposite window. Paige stretched her arms, and kissed Emily gently on the temple before getting out of bed. She made her way downstairs, just in time to see her mother before she left for work.

"Morning sweetie. There's extra breakfast for the two of you in the fridge, and the coffee's in the pot," she said, before leaving the house.

"Thanks mom. See you tonight."

Paige quickly poured herself a cup of coffee, walked out into the backyard and took a seat in the hammock. She looked up at the morning sun, and relished in it light and warmth. She leaned back in the hammock and closed her eyes. She replayed the past few days that she had gotten to spend with Emily. A smile crept onto her lips, but it was soon replaced with sadness. She didn't want Emily to leave. Come Saturday, and Emily would be on a plane flying back to Philly. For the small amount of time that Emily had been there, Paige had gotten used to going to bed next to Emily and waking up next to her. She'd gotten used to dancing with her, holding her, kissing her, loving her.

"Let me guess. You're thinking about the same thing I am?" Paige heard Emily voice asked. She opened her eyes and found Emily standing in front of her with a saddened look on her face.

"If only time could slow down."

"If only," Emily said, laying down next to Paige. "It's going to be hard, but we survived the first part of the summer. We'll be able to survive the next part."

"I know. I just don't want to let you go so soon."

"I know," Emily said, kissing Paige on the cheek. "We've got two more days together. Let's make the most of them."

"As you wish," Paige smiled, kissing Emily's softly.

They spent most of the morning lounging around and watching random movies that sounded interesting. They decided to hit the pool in the late evening. Paige knew the summer schedule, when the pool was busy and when it wasn't. They spent about an hour swimming laps before calling it a day.

Paige joined Emily on her bed after getting out of the shower.

"So, what have you got in mind tonight?" Paige asked, looking at what Emily was researching.

"Well, I've always heard about the Santa Monica Pier," Emily said scrolling through some pictures.

"Tomorrow night, let's go."

"Are you sure?" Emily asked a little shocked. "It's like an hour a while, plus traffic."

"Of course I'm sure," Paige said. "Don't worry about it. Santa Monica Pier is amazing."

"Okay, then."

"What else have you got on your list of things to see?" Paige asked, laying down next to Emily. Emily shifted her computer in between the two of them and showed Paige all the places she wanted to see.

Emily listed included Runyon Canyon, Hollywood, The Golden Gate Bridge, Venice Beach Boardwalk, Glacier Point, Universal Studios, and various other places.

"Well Runyon Canyon, Santa Monica Pier, and Venice Beach Boardwalk, are all within the same area. If you want we can try and do all of them tomorrow," Paige said, trying to think about it.

"Are you really that bold?" Emily joked.

"Are you?"

"Probably not," Emily laughed. "How about we just wonder around LA and then hit Santa Monica Pier at night."

"You're positive?"

"Well I have so save some things to do when I come out here again," Emily laughed.

"You sure you don't want to run Runyon Canyon?"

"Umm, no, after swimming today, I might not be able to move tomorrow," Emily said, massaging her shoulder muscles.

"Come here," Paige said. Emily sat in between Paige's legs, while Paige gently massaged her tense shoulders.

"God, that feels so goooood!" Emily moaned.

Paige sat there massaging Emily's shoulders for a few more minutes, before they switched places. Emily gently massaged Paige's back, kneading her hands into Paige's back.

"I could get used to this," Paige said, rolling over and pulling Emily on top of her.

"With you, everything is familiar."

They fell asleep that night hold each other in their arms. The sun came up too early for Paige that morning. The pulled the blankets tight around Emily and changed into some running clothes.

Emily heard Paige rustle about the room, but was too tired to open her eyes to see what was going on. About an hour later, she felt something wet slide across her face. Her eyes shot open instantly. At first she thought that it was Paige, but Paige would never lick her. She opened her eyes and found Ellie lying next to, licking her ears.

"Oh, ew," she said, wiping the slobber off with the sheets.

The room dark and the spot next to her was cold. She glanced around the room and noticed that some of Paige's drawers were open; she figured that Paige had gotten up and gone for a run. She let Ellie rest on her lap, while she sat up in bed.

She glanced around the room and took her time looking at all the pictures, posters, medals, and various other things that decorated Paige's room. Most of Paige's pictures were of family and friends from school. Emily recognized some of them from the swim team and a few of them she had seen around campus. Emily recognized Paige's brother, Patrick, instantly. They looked so alike. There was only picture that caught Emily's eyes. It was framed and centered in the middle of the wall. It was a picture of Paige and another girl. Paige couldn't have been older than 15. Emily recognized the background, it was Glen Oaks.

"Hey," Paige said, walking back into the room.

"Hey there sweaty," Emily laughed. "How was your run?"

"Great!" Paige said, pulling off her shirt, and wiping away some of the sweat.

"Hey Paige, who is this?" Emily asked, pointing to the girl in the framed photo. Emily noticed that Paige became very tense. "Sorry, you don't have to answer."

"Here," Paige said, motioning for Emily to take a seat next to her. "It's a long story…" Paige took a deep breath before continuing. "You remember back at Glen Oaks when I told you that it was a special place to me. It's because of Lauren. I haven't told you a lot about my past…some parts are just too painful to talk about."

"Hey, I'm here," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige.

"It was summer after 6th grade, all my friends were going boy crazy, and I had absolutely no interest in boys. I thought that there was something wrong with me. I used to cry myself to sleep asking god what I had done to make him so angry. I thought I couldn't love or feel for anyone. Middle school was a dark period in my life, I was bullied, I had a hard time making friends. It was summer after 7th grade when I met Lauren." Paige felt the tears starting to build up, but she quickly blinked them away. "Her parents went to Glen Oaks every summer, like mine, and we met by the river one day. We were wearing the same t-shirt," Paige laughed slightly. "We just hit it off that summer. I think we spent the whole two weeks together exploring the forests, swimming, talking. Lauren was two years older than me, but she just made everything seem right. When I was with her, everything seemed to be okay."

"Was Lauren gay?" Emily asked. Paige nodded.

"She helped me discover who I was, and that to be gay is okay. She was the first person I ever loved." Paige shuttered out. "I owe everything to her. We went the next year together, until my parents sent me out to Rosewood. I guess they figured that a fresh start would be good for me and it was. No one judged me for who I was, and I've made some of the best friends that I could ever have, and I met you."

"So what happened between you and Lauren?"

"We tried to keep our relationship going, but the distance was too hard and we were both so young. We decided to break things off and remain friends. She ended up dating a girl from her school and I started dating Shana. The last time I saw her was the summer after my freshman year."

"So what's Lauren doing now?" Emily asked. Emily was surprised to see tears welling up in Paige's eyes. She hadn't noticed them before. Paige took a deep shaky breath, before looking away.

"It was at the end of sophomore. I had just gotten back from school, and she had just graduated from high school. We decided to take a road trip up to Portland before she went to college. We decided to get up early in the morning and just drive until we got there. We were almost there, when a drunk driver hit our car," Paige, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Paige, you don't have to—"

"I don't even remember what happened. I woke up the next day with a broken leg and arm, and random stitches all over my body. My parents were around me crying. I didn't find out until later than Lauren died the night of the crash. Her parents refuse to talk to me. They think that it was my fault."

"Paige, I'm so sorry," Emily said, pulling Paige tightly into her arms. She held Paige tightly as Paige sobbed uncontrollably. Emily felt her heart start to break into tiny pieces. She never thought that Paige would be the person to go through something so traumatic. She remembered seeing the scars on Paige's body, but she never thought that it would have been from something so serious as that.

Paige finally stopped sobbing, and trying to compose herself. Paige excused herself to go and take a shower. Emily noticed that Paige's shower was longer than usually, but she understood. Emily just sat on the edge of Paige's bed, looking at the two of them smiling back at her.

When Paige returned from her shower, she took a seat next to Emily and fell into her arms. They lay there in silences for a few minutes before Paige finally spoke.

"Thank you," she croaked.

"I'm always here if you ever need to talk. If you ever feel yourself slipping you can call me."

"I know," Paige said, kissing Emily gently. "You're the best thing that has every happened to me."

They spent the morning lounging around in bed, until it was around lunchtime. They quickly got ready, and heading into the city for lunch. Paige found a parking space in a local parking garage. They grabbed a bit to each at a city eatery, before exploring the city.

Emily found herself wandering into random shops here and there. They walked down the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Emily took pictures of every star that she recognized, and of course, she got back to take a picture of her with Michael Jackson's star.

Emily grabbed a few things for her parents and, of course, she bought a little something for Paige. While Emily was browsing the aisles of an antique story, Paige slipped out to the jewelry store next door and bought Emily a little something as well.

It was around 6pm when they decided to head up to Santa Monica. The traffic was crazy, but neither of them seemed to mind it much. Emily was just glad that she was with Paige. Paige took a few short cuts. They arrive at the pier a little after 8:30pm. It was booming with excitement. People crowded the walkways.

"Wow," Emily whispered, looking around the pier. "This is incredible."

They grabbed a bite to eat and walked around for little while. Every so often, Paige or Emily would stop and participate in some the games or buy some more food. Paige convinced Emily to go on the Ferris Wheel. Emily kept her eyes shut the entire time and squealed a little when they reached the top. All Paige could do was laugh and hold Emily's hand tightly.

"Why did I ever let you convince me to go on that thing," Emily said, quickly getting out of the chair.

"I'm sorry babe," Paige said, wrapping her arms around Emily and kissing her on the temple.

"You're lucky that your cute and that I really like you."

The walked around the pier for a little while longer, and Paige convinced Emily to go on a few more rides and sit for a caricatcher They finally stopped at the pier and looked out at the water. The lights from the pier reflected across the water.

"Everything here is so beautiful," Emily sighed, leaning against the banister.

"You'll get to explore this beautiful place for the next four years," Paige said, grabbing a hold of Emily's hand. "Em, thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you. For coming out and seeing me. For trusting me, loving me, being there for me…everything. You're one of the only people that know about Lauren."

"Thank you for letting me in."

Paige gave Emily a weak smile, before turning her attention to the rippling water below them. She felt Emily's thumb running circles around the top of the hand. It was ever so comforting.

"I got you a little something," Emily said, pulling out the small package that she'd been caring around.

"I got you something too," Paige laughed, pulling a small box out of her purse.

Emily opened the small box that Paige had give her. Inside was a small leather bracelet with a sun engraved on the small metal plate, with PM and EF engraved in the corner.

"It's beautiful," Emily said, letting Paige wrap it around her wrist.

"It's something to remember this amazing week that we got to spend together," Paige smiled.

Paige wrapped the package that Emily had handed to her and found a leather bound notebook. Paige opened the to the front Paige and found that Emily had already written something in it. She had also included several pictures of them from the past year.

"I know it's not much," Emily said, playing with the bracelet. "I know that you've been through a lot, and I know that sometimes its hard to talk about what's going on in there." She tapped her headed. "I always found that writing was the best way from me to get everything out."

"It's perfect, thank you," Paige said, kissing Emily gently.

They spent another hour at the pier before calling it a night. Emily flight was leaving early the next morning, and they need to get some rest, but they end up staying all night talking and trying to enjoy each other before they went their separate ways.

The sun was slowly starting to creep into Paige's room. Emily lay in Paige's arms, wishing that time would just stop.

"Is it really already morning?" Emily moaned, looking over at the clock.

"If only time would stop," Paige moaned.

They lay there until they had no other choice but to get up. Emily packed her bags while Paige made a quick breakfast. Emily exchanged a few of her t-shirt for Paige's and quickly shoved them into her bag.

They ate a quick breakfast, before getting into Paige's car and heading for the airport. The ride to the airport was silent. Neither of them spoke a word until they got into the terminal.

"God, I don't want to leave," Emily said, wrapping herself around Paige.

"I know. I know. It's only six weeks, and then we'll be back in California together."

"Six weeks is forever."

"I know, but I'll call, text, FaceTime you any chance I get. We can do this."

"I know, I just want want to wake up tomorrow and have you not there next to me."

"I'm irreplaceable," Paige said kissing Emily.

"That you are."

"We'll be okay. It's only six weeks."

"Six weeks," Emily nodded.

"Call me when you land."

"I will," Emily said, grabbing her bags.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too," Emily said, giving Paige one last kiss before heading to the security check point.

Paige watched Emily, until she couldn't see her anymore. The ride back was cold and lonely. She missed Emily already. When she got back to her house, she found Ellie lying in her bed in the spot that was previously occupied by Emily.

"Not even you can replace Emily," Paige said, petting Ellie behind the ear.

Emily was exhausted from the flight. She hadn't gotten any sleep since she left Paige's. When Pam picked Emily up from the airport, she noticed how exhausted Emily was, and decided not to ask Emily how were trip was until Emily had gotten some sleep.

As soon as Emily got into her room, she brushed her teeth and changed into shorts and a t-shirt. She quickly turned on her computer and FaceTimed Paige.

"Hey, you made it!"

"Yeah, but I miss you already."

"I know. Ellie thinks that she can replace you," Paige said, lifting her computer to show Emily a sleeping Ellie.

"Well, she'll have to while I'm gone," Emily smiled.

They talked for about an hour before Emily started feeling her eyes become heavy. She stayed on the FaceTime with Paige until she had fallen asleep. Paige watched Emily's sleeping figure from her screen. She missed being about to hold Emily.

"This is gonna be a long six weeks," Paige whispered to herself.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

It took Emily at least a week, before she adjusted to sleeping alone. She spent most nights FaceTiming Paige before she went to work. They hardly talked during the day. Both them had kept themselves quite busy for the next few weeks. Paige and Emily both had to get back into the routine of competitive swimming, practicing harder and longer. Paige's shifts at the bar had become sporadic, and would sometime interfere with there regular phone calls, but none the less, Paige made anything possible.

Emily picked up extra shifts that the Brew, and spent most of her time in Rosewood. Her mother went down to Texas for a week to visit her father, and Emily spent the week with Hanna.

Time slowly ticked by, four weeks eventually turned into three, then two. Emily started packing her things for college. She ended up being most of the stuff she had had at Rosewood Prep, and the rest she would buy when she got o California.

"So, my parents said we can go up to our lake house for the weekend," Spencer said, taking a seat on the couch.

"Really? Your parents?" Aria said, taking a sip of the coffee Emily had just made her.

"Hey, they're not all that strict," Spencer smiled. "So, you guys in?"

"Yeah, count me in," Aria cheered.

"You can bet your ass I'll be there," Hanna said, already mentally planning.

"Em?"

"Yeah, why not? Let me just ask for the time off," Emily replied. Her boss was extremely laid back and since Emily had been picking up every extra shift, he didn't have any problem giving her the weekend off.

The weekend rolled around faster than Emily thought. She still had a load of packing to do. She shipped some of her boxes to Paige's house, but still, her car was smaller than it looked. Pam had help Emily pack her things more efficiently in her bags.

"Emmy, don't worry about packing everything. If you forget something I can always mail it to you."

"I know. I just want to make sure that I have everything I need, but right now everything looks like something I need," Emily said, looking at the pile of clothes around her.

"Well, lets see, it shouldn't be too cold in California, when Christmas break comes around, so I don't think that you'll need all these heavy clothes," Pam said, taking a few of Emily's clothes and putting them back in her clothes. "Just being this puffy jacket and you can always put a hoodie underneath."

"You know my style so well," Emily laughed, giving her mom a hug.

"So are you all set for the lake house?"

"Yeah, I just need to pack a few swim suits."

"Great, well, don't worry too much about packing for college. Enjoy the time you have with your friends."

"Thanks, mom."

"Anytime honey."

Emily grabbed a few swimsuits for her drawer, before gathering her things and heading out to her car. Spencer's lake house was just across the Pennsylvania-New York boarder. Emily picked up Aria, who knew exactly how to get to Spencer's lake house.

It was about three hours later when they pulled up in front of a beautiful two-story lake house, with bay windows.

"This is Spencer's lake house?" Emily asked aghast.

"I know right," Aria laughed.

They grabbed their things and walked around front. Emily spotted a dock and boat at the end of the front-yard. Emily followed Aria inside. The interior of the house was homey and had a beach house sort of look.

"Hey! How was the drive?" Spencer said, coming around the corner.

"Hey. Not too bad, Emily hit a little traffic leaving the city, but other than that…smooth sailings."

"Great! Let me show you your rooms," Spencer said, leading them upstairs.

Spencer led Aria and Emily into a room with two beds on opposite sides of the room. "Sorry, I hope you don't mind sharing a room. Hanna's bring Caleb and insisted that they get Melissa's room."

"Figures," Aria laughed.

"Well, I'll let you two get settled. If you need anything I'll be in the kitchen."

They unpacked a few of their things, before joining Spencer in the kitchen. She had been cooking up something that smelled delicious.

"Can I get you something to drink? Beer? Water?"

"Beer? Really?" Aria asked, shocked.

"Hey, I'm not a complete party pooper. Besides, Toby picked it, so it should be good."

"Alright, yeah, give me one," Aria said happily.

"You want one?" Spencer asked Emily.

"Why not!"

"So where is Toby?"

"He went out to the store to pick up a few things and grab some firewood."

They cracked open three beers and sat around the kitchen, while Spencer cooked. Hanna arrived just in time for dinner, as usually. There was a long lanky man with her, that Emily recognized as Caleb.

"Ah I see Toby picked up some Woodchuck!" Caleb said excitedly, noticing the beer bottles. He grabbed a bottle for him and Hanna, before taking a seat next to Emily and Aria.

They sat talking through the entire meal. They all got caught up on everyone's lives and all that sort of stuff. After dinner was over, they all gathered around the fire pit and watched the sunset over the lake.

It reminded Emily of the few days that she had spent with Paige at Big Sur. She excused herself, for a little while to call Paige.

"Hey Em!"

"God, it's so good to hear your voice," Emily said, taking a seat on her bed.

"You as well," Paige laughed. "So you made it up to Spencer's in one piece."

"Yeah. Thankfully. I think I might need to get a shock change after going on that dirt road." Emily heard Paige laughing on the other end of the phone. "So, what's up with you?"

"Oh you know, packing, and working. I picked a few extra shifts to try to make a little extra before I leave. It's been rough, with swimming and working, I'm exhausted."

"When do you finish working?"

"Monday, thank god," Paige sighed. "You?"

"I'm working up until I leave. Gotta find someway to pay for my gas."

"I can't wait to see you in a week!"

"I know. It feels like forever."

They talked for a few minutes before Paige had to leave for work. Emily rejoined the group and listened to Caleb tell everyone about his first year of college, and Toby telling all his horror stories.

Hanna and Caleb called it an early night, and were soon followed by Spencer and Toby. Aria added another piece of wood to the fire and stoked it silently.

"Someone looks happy," Aria said, noticing the smile on Emily's face. Paige had just texted her a picture of her at work.

"Sorry, Paige texted me," Emily said, sending a quick reply before putting her phone away.

"No worries," Aria laughed. "It's always nice to see your friends happy."

"Agreed," Emily smiled. "So, what about you and Ezra?"

"We're good."

"Is his staying at Rosewood?"

"He actually got an offer to teach English at Ohio State. He's thinking about taking it. It would be nice to be in the same state; you know?"

"Yeah," Emily said, nodding her head. "I don't think I could live if Paige and I were in different states."

"Hey you're the power couple of the century." Emily burst out laughing followed by Aria.

"I'll take that as a complement."

They sat there talking until only embers were left in the fire pit. Aria splashed them out with some lake water, before they decided to call it a night.

Emily spent most of the night tossing and turning. She was thankful when they sun finally came up. She made her way out onto the dock and let her feet sink into the cold water. She hadn't been sleeping well since she got back from California. Every time she tried, she just became more and more restless. She thought about calling Paige, but she didn't want to wake her up after her long shift.

"I thought that I was only one that work up this early," Emily heard Spencer say from the dock.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Here," Spencer said, taking a seat next to Emily and handing her a cup of steaming coffee.

"Thanks."

"Let me guess, you haven't been sleeping since you got back from California?"

"How you know?"

"I've got eyes. I observe. You've just looked exhausted all the time."

"Yeah, I guess I just got used to having Paige next to me or at least near me."

"I hear that. When Toby went off to college, I don't think that I slept for weeks."

"How'd you get passed it?"

"Time, the first year was really rough, but once we worked everything out, everything just seemed to fall into place. Trust me, you and Paige are already half way there. You've managed to survive a summer apart; you'll be able to figure out a dynamic when you're even closer, but just remember that talking is the key to everything."

"Are you sure you're not a relationship guru or something?"

"Ha, I wish," Spencer laughed. "Come, help me make breakfast."

Emily followed Spencer into the kitchen, and helped to make breakfast for the rest of the group. Everyone slowly wandered in around 10:30am. They ate quietly, before getting ready for the day.

There wasn't much planned, just do whatever you want to. They spent a majority of the afternoon outside, bathing in the sun occasionally taking a swim in the lake. Spencer started up the boat, and they took a spin around the lake before dinner.

Emily excused herself, while Toby and Caleb started up the grill. She made her way up to the room her and Aria were sharing and gave Paige a call.

"Miss me already?" Emily heard Paige's voice.

"I always miss you," Emily smiled. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Oh, nothing much, packing mainly. My mom keeps giving more things to pack…I don't even know if I can talk all of this in one trip."

"That's what I keep telling my mom," Emily laughed.

"So, what have you been up to today? Let me guess, bathing in the sun?"

"Oh…are you jealous?"

"Well, I'd like to see you laying out in front of me."

"PAIGE!" Emily heard Paige laughing on the other end of the phone.

"You know you want to."

"Oh, you have no idea," Emily whisper, trying to erase the dirty thoughts from her mind.

They talked for a few minutes, before Emily let Paige get back to packing. Emily slowly made her way back down to the patio, and smile still plastered on her face.

"Well, someone sure looks happy," Hanna said, talking a seat next to Emily. "Let me guess you just talked to Paige."

"That obvious, huh?"

"It couldn't be more obvious," Hanna smiled. "I'm happy for you…and Paige."

"Thanks, Han."

"But, now since things have gotten…well…serious. I'm going to give you the talk."

"What talk?"

"This one," Hanna said, scooting closer to Emily. "Look, Paige has been through a lot in the past few years, and I can see how happy you make her, and how happy she makes you. But Emily, I swear to god…if you hurt her in any way…you will regret it."

"I promise, that I won't hurt Paige. I would never hurt her."

"Good. And don't worry. I've given Paige the same talk."

"You really don't miss a step do you?"

"I try not too, but every so often it happens, I'm not perfect," Hanna laughed.

The rest of the weekend flew by faster than Emily would have liked. Soon, her and Aria were back in her car heading to Rosewood. The drive back was slow, and Emily eventually had Aria switch with her. Aria drove to her house.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Aria asked, grabbing her bags from the back.

"Yeah, I just need to get out and walk around?" Emily said, getting out of the car.

"Do you want something to drink or something caffeinated?"

"Actually, that would be great."

Emily followed Aria into her house. Emily had never actually been into Aria's house. It was homey, and wood walls and floors.

"Um, I've got Coke and Coffee," Aria said, looking around the kitchen.

"I'll just take a Coke."

Emily took a seat on Aria's couch, while Aria pulled two Cokes out of the fridge.

"So, when do you head out to Oberlin?"

"Sunday, and you're leaving Friday?"

"Yeah. Let's hope I can make it California by Monday."

"Just take your time. Don't want you falling asleep at the wheel."

"Oh, don't worry. I think my mom packed enough caffeinated drinks in my car to fuel an army."

"Well if you ever get bored with driving, you can always call one of us, and we'd be happy to keep you company."

"I'll keep that in mind," Emily smiled. She drained the rest of the Coke from the can, before getting up.

"Let me know when you get home, okay?"

"I will," Emily said, giving Aria a tight hug.

"It was nice getting to hang out, one on one," Aria smiled.

"It was," Emily replied. "I'll see you on Thursday."

"Yeah! Drive safe!" Aria said, closing the door behind Emily.

Emily cruised home, blasting the music to keep her awake. It wasn't in 6 o'clock, but the weekend had tired her out. She had the opening shift at the brew tomorrow morning, which she was not looking forward too.

When she pulled into the driveway, she saw her mom sitting on the porch. Pam was drinking a glass of wine and reading a book, when Emily made her way up to the porch.

"Hey mom."

"Sweetie! How was your weekend?"

"Amazing! Spencer's lake house is incredible."

"Well, I'm glad you had fun! Come on, I've got dinner cooking," Pam replied, helping her daughter into the house.

Emily dropped her bags off in her room, and sent Aria a quick text. She thought about calling Paige, but Paige was most likely sleeping or packing or doing something.

Emily joined her mother in the kitchen. There conversation was light throughout dinner. Emily just wanted to enjoy the company with her mom before she left.

"Mom, do you wanna watch a movie or something?" Emily asked, while clearing the table.

"Sure! But also long as there's popcorn."

"Of course! With extra butter."

"You got it," Pam smiled. "Pick something tasteful."

"Don't worry mom, I got this," Emily laughed.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys! Sorry I'm a day late, flying sucks sometimes. Anyways...there's only a few more chapters left in this story. I've been writing another side story that I hope you'll like. Let me know what you think of this chapter...it's a little bit of a filler.**

 **Chapter 25**

Emily packed the rest of things into her car. Pam had shipped the rest of Emily's things to Paige's house earlier that week.

"Thanks for coming to say goodbye," Emily said to Spencer, Hanna, and Aria.

"Hey, it's what friends do!" Hanna smiled. "Anyways we got you a few snacks for the road." Hanna handed Emily an extremely full bag filled with all sorts of candies and snacks.

"Wow…thank you!"

"Promise you will let us know that you've made it there safely," Spencer said.

"Of course! Don't worry, my mom's got all these checkpoints for me," Emily said, holding out the stack of papers.

"Good luck, and drive responsible," Hanna said, pulling Emily into a hug.

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?" Emily laughed.

"Don't go too crazy when you're out west," Spencer said, hugging Emily.

"Don't become a hermit, and only lives in the library."

"Fair enough," Spencer laughed.

"Aria," Emily said, pulling the tiny brunette into a hug. "Thank you."

"Any time Em."

"Good luck at Oberlin."

"You too."

"If you need anything, just call okay?" Spencer said.

"Don't worry. You'll be the first ones I call when I'm bored."

"We look forward to it."

"And tell Paige 'hi'."

"Will do!"

Emily exchanged one last set of hugs, before the girls left. Emily put the bag of snacks and her mother's planned trip in the passenger seat.

"Oh Emmy," Pam said, tearing up a little.

"Hey mom, don't cry."

"I know, it's just you're so grown up, and beautiful, and smart, and I can't believe I'm sending you to the other side of the country by yourself."

"Hey, I've got Paige."

"I know, I know," Pam said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Are you sure you've got everything."

"Yes mom," Emily laughed. "I'm positive I've got everything."

"And you know that the Packers are expecting you tonight?"

"Yes, and I'm to call them when I'm an hour away."

"Good girl."

"Thank you mom," Emily said, pulling her mom into a tight hug.

"For what sweetie."

"For everything."

"Promise me you'll call, when stop for the night?"

"Of course I will. Don't worry about me mom. I'll be fine!"

"I know you will. You're a tough, like your father."

"Love you, mom," Emily said, kissing her mom on the cheek. "I'll see you at Thanksgiving."

Pam watched her daughter getting into her car, and back out. Emily turned and waved one last time, before heading down the street. Pam watched Emily's car as long as she could, before it disappeared around the corner. Now, all she could do was wait with anticipation.

Emily made in to Ohio in a reasonable time. She made a few stops along the way to grab food, and stretch her legs. When she reached Columbus, she phoned the Parkers to let them know that she was about an hour away. The Parkers lived on the outskirts of Cincinnati. Rick Parker served with Emily's father in Afghanistan before honorably discharged a few years back. Emily had practically grown up with their daughter, Harper.

About an hour later, Emily pulled into the Parker's driveway. Barb Parker, greeted Emily at the front door, and showed her to the guest room. She gave her mom and quick call and texted the girls, before joining Barb and Rick in the kitchen.

"So Em, how was the drive?" Barb asked, warming up some dinner for Emily.

"Long, but it wasn't too back. At least there were things to look at."

"Yeah, Nebraska might be a drag. All you see is dirt," Barb laughed.

"If only they could make dirt look pretty," Emily laughed.

"Well, if you need anything, our room is the just up the stairs, and there's food in the fridge."

"Thank you!"

"It's a pleasure. It's not every day we get to see you," Barb smiled. "Get some rest. You've got to drive through Nebraska tomorrow."

"Oh boy," Emily laughed.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

Emily finished eating her dinner. She washed the dishes and put them back in the cabinet before heading back to the guest room. She quickly changed out of her clothes and into shorts and a t-shirt. There was a gently knock on the Emily's door.

"Yeah?" Emily asked, thinking that it was Barb.

"Hey," a young woman, with brown wavy hair, said, sticking her head into the room. "Heard you were passing by."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the one and only," Emily smiled, as the girl came into the room. Emily pulled the girl into a tight hug. "Harper Parker."

"Yes, yes, we all know it rhymes," Harper cooed. "Wow, how long has it been?"

"It's gotta be at least three years."

"I have to say, you do look more grown up, different."

"I could say the same about you," Emily smiled.

"So, what have you been up to lately?"

"Oh you know, trying to enjoy my last days of freedom, and training."

"Let me guess…soccer?"

"Yup, UNC."

"Well, damn."

"And let me guess…swimming?"

"Yeah, UC Berkeley."

"Well damn as well," Harper joked. "So besides school and swimming…got anyone special?"

"How about you answer that one first," Emily smiled.

"I guess it's only fair," Harper joked, pulling out her phone. "His name's Aiden."

"Aw, how long have you been dating?"

"Two years in September."

"Is he going to UNC?"

"Nah, he's at Wake Forest."

"Well, at least you two will be close!"

"What about your girl?" Emily showed her a picture Paige. "Wow, she's hot! Damn! Emily how did you find this one?"

"I guess I'm just a lucky girl!"

They talked for another hour or so, before they finally called it a night. Emily enjoyed catching up with an old friend. She hadn't seen Harper since she moved to Ohio. When they were little, everyone used to say that they were tied at the hip.

Emily sent Paige a quick text, but knew that Paige had been training all day and would most likely be asleep. It was around midnight, when Emily slowly let her exhaustion pull her into a deep sleep.

Emily was rudely awoken by her alarm the next morning, the sun hadn't even risen. She quickly hopped into a cold shower which snapped her awake. She found Barb and Rick already in the kitchen eating breakfast.

"And the Golden Bear awakes," Rick joked. "It's good to see you. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance yesterday. I had the night-shift last night."

"No worries. It's great to see you!"

"So where we off to today?"

"North Platte."

"Oh lord, the scenery out there. I hope you will be able to entertain yourself."

"Me too," Emily laughed, but she already knew how she was going to entertain herself. Paige.

"Well, let's get some breakfast in you," Barb said, shoveling eggs and bacon onto a plate.

Emily eat quickly before gathering her things. Harper appeared in the kitchen, still dressed in her pjs as Emily was saying her goodbyes.

"You think you can leave without saying goodbye?" Harper yawned.

"Oh course not, but I didn't peg you as an early riser."

"You know I never was good waking up early, but I have practice at eight."

"Well, good luck at UNC. You gonna kill it there."

"I could say the same for you," Harper said, pulling Emily into a tight hug. "Don't become a stranger, ya' hear?"

"I wont!" Emily smiled. "Thank Rick and Barb. You have no idea how grateful I am."

"Any time! Call if you need anything! And if you're ever passing through the area, let us know!"

"Good luck at school," Barb said, giving Emily a hug.

"Thanks!"

"Got em'!" Rick said, patting Emily on the shoulder.

Emily finally pulled out the Parker's driveway a little after seven. She punched in the address of her mother's friend, Diana, who lived in North Platte. Emily gave slight groan when she saw the travel time: 15 hours. That meant that she would be getting there around 10 at the earliest.

The first few hours of the drive flew by for Emily, but as soon as she hit Nebraska, things started to slow way down. The flat plains, continued, and continued, and continued.

Emily quickly pulled out her phone and checked the time, 4:30. She quickly dialed Paige's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Well, well, to what do I owe this amazing call to?" Paige's voice said through the phone.

"My boredom. No one ever told me Nebraska could be so boring."

"Ah, Nebraska, the land of flat lands and boringness. What more could someone want?"

"Oh, I could think of many things!"

"Oh yeah, would you like to indulge?" Paige asked seductively.

"Only if you stay on the phone with me."

"Well, I've got practice at 7pm, but until then I'm all yours until then."

"Well, I'm sure that I can entertain you until then," Emily smirked.

And Emily did entertain Paige for a few hours. They talked about training, school, preparations, Paige's roommate, Avery, and so many other things. Emily was happy to just be able and talk to Paige, hear her voice and whatnot. She decided that she'd save the sexy talk for later, when they were actually together.

"Try not to pull a muscle," Emily joked.

"I'll try not to, got save myself for you."

"God, I can't wait to see you."

"Soon! Soon!"

"I love you Paige."

"I love you too Emily," Paige whispered, before hanging up the phone.

Emily exhaled deeply, thinking about everything that was happening. Her heart raced with excitement at the thought of seeing Paige, but she was scared by the idea of college.

Emily watched as the sun set over the Nebraska plains. She kept an eye on the GPS, watching the countdown. She cracked open a few of the snacks Hanna had given her, and stopped once to fill up with gas.

It was a little after 11pm when Emily pulled up into Diana's driveway. Diana had a side entrance which she left open for Emily. Emily quickly found her way to the guest room. She texted her mom, Paige, and the girls, before collapsing onto the bed. She didn't even bother changing out of her outfit; she didn't have the energy. Within minutes Emily was fast asleep.

The next morning Emily had a slow start to her day. The previous two days of driving were really starting to wear on her. She threw on a pair of sweats, pulled the sheets off the bed, and gently placed them on top of the bed.

Diana was a nurse, and Emily figured that she was working a night shift when she wandered into the kitchen. Diana had left Emily a note telling her that there was breakfast in the fridge.

Emily quickly shoveled down her breakfast, washed the dishes, grabbed her bags and started on day three of her journey. Her goal of the day was the get to Las Vegas, and grab a hotel somewhere.

"You're almost there Emily," Emily whispered to herself as she started to get antsy. She'd been in her car for too long.

She decided to take a break when she hit Denver. She wandered around the city for an hour or so, going into shops and grabbing a bite to eat before she hit the road.

It was around 2 o'clock when she found herself entering Utah.

"Only…9 more hours…" Emily groaned, looking at her GPS. She made a mental note in her head never to do something like this again.

Around 11pm, Emily finally found herself entering Nevada. It was around 12:30am, when Emily finally pulled up into of the first hotel she saw. She quickly got a room, texted the usually people, and collapsed onto the bed.

Emily allowed herself to sleep in the next morning. She didn't want to get caught up in the morning traffic. She grabbed breakfast at the hotel, hit the gym, and check out around 10pm. The extra sleep had definitely done her some good, but she still had dark circles under her eyes.

The drive from Vegas to Cypress was only about 4 hours, and Emily hoped that she would get there just in time to miss the traffic. Getting up to Palo Alto was another story.

Emily pulled into Paige's driveway around 1 o'clock. Ellie and Christine greeted Emily at the front door.

"Emily it so good to see you! How was the drive?" Christine asked.

"Long, but I'm thankful to finally get of that car for a bit," Emily said, stretching her legs.

"I hear that. Why don't we get you things into the house?"

Emily and Christine slowly started to unpack Emily's car. They put all of Emily's things on Paige's floor. Emily found the boxes that Pam had shipped earlier that week neatly stacked in the corner.

"Em, why don't you lay down for a bit. I'm just about to make some lunch."

"Alright may just for a bit."

"You could use some sleep, you look exhausted."

Emily laid down on Paige's bed and closed her eyes. She didn't sleep, the rest and relaxation eased her body and mind. She felt a slight chill run up her back. She crawled out of bed and threw on one of Paige's sweatshirts, before heading downstairs.

Christine had prepared two sandwiches and offered one of them to Emily. They ate their sandwiches quietly.

"So, you'll be able to make up to Stanford today?"

"I've made it this far. Another 6 hours won't hurt me."

"Alright, well you call me if you need anything."

"I will!"

Emily made her way back out to her car. She used to love her car, but now she hated thinking about getting back into it. The only thing getting her through was the thought of seeing Paige again.

She backed out of the McCullers's driveway and headed north. She managed to miss the worse of the traffic coming out of the city. The rest of the drive way a straight shot.

It was around 10 o'clock when Emily finally pulled up in front of a housing complex. The glanced at the building and noticed that there were still a few lights on. She pulled out her phone and dialed Paige's number.

"Hey! I see you still alive," Paige joked.

"Barely."

"So when do you think you'll be here."

"Soon. Can you see the parking lot from your window?"

"Yeah," Paige said walking to her window. Paige looked out her window and saw Emily, standing there in all her beauty wearing one of Paige's favorite sweatshirts. Emily could barely make out Paige's features, but she could tell that she was smiling.

"Well…maybe you'd want to let me in."

"All be down in a minute," Paige said rushing out of her room. She was thankful that she only lived on the second floor of her hall. She burst through the front door and found Emily walking up to her.

"Hey!" Paige said happily, wrapping her arms tightly around Emily.

"Hey yourself," Emily whispered. Paige gently kissed Emily before taking her bags.

Emily held tightly onto Paige's hand as they walked up the flight of stairs to Paige's room. Paige's room was enormous compared to the rooms at Berkeley.

"Wow," Emily said, looking around the room.

"Sorry, the room is a little bit of a mess," Paige said, picking some clothes off the floor.

"No worries. This room is incredible."

"Yeah, I guess they want their athletes to comfortable," Paige joked, taking a seat on her bed. "Come here."

Emily gratefully let herself fall into Paige's arms. She missed the safety of Paige's grasp around her. Emily wrapped her arms around Paige's waist and pulled in her closer. She felt Paige's fingers gently comb through her hair.

"That sweatshirt looks great by the way," Paige whispered.

"You think?" I was a little cold this afternoon." Paige smiled.

"So how was the drive? You look exhausted," Paige said, noticing Emily's fatigue.

"It was long, but now that I'm with you…" Emily said, resting her head on Paige's chest. "I don't care…it was worth it."

"You need to rest," Paige said quietly.

"I know…"

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. We'll have plenty of time," Paige smiled, kissing Emily's forehead gently. "Tell you what, how about tomorrow after practice we walk around town. There are a few places I've wanted to try out."

"I'd like that," Emily yawned.

"And you can have all the macaroons you'd like."

"I'd really like that."

"I know, but for now rest," Paige said, pulling the blankets back. Paige didn't have to wait long until Emily fell asleep. She gently untangled herself from Emily and moved to the edge of the bed. She untied Emily's shoes and pulled them off before pulling the blankets up around Emily.

"I love you," she said, kissing Emily gently. "So much…"


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello! Sorry again that this is a short chapter! There are only a few more chapters left in the story! I'm looking forward to writing them! Let me know what you think of this chapter.**

 **Chapter 26**

Emily felt Paige move on the other side of the bed. She heard her rustling around for a few minutes, before the door opened and closed. She glanced at the clock: 6:45am. She rolled over a pulled the blankets tighter around herself, relishing in the warm and Paige's aroma.

Emil awoke a second time to the door opening and closing. When she turned around she saw Paige. She was still in her warm up and she hair was damp.

"Hey, how was practice?" Emily said.

"Oh, you know, practice. They're trying to wipe us into shape."

"Can't wait to get started," Emily sighed.

"They're a gym downstairs if you ever feel like going," Paige said, taking a seat next to Emily. Emily caught a whiff of Paige's shampoo, mango.

"You smell good."

"I wish I could say the same about you," Paige said, before Emily pushed her off the bed. "I'm kidding!"

"Whatever," Emily said, rolling her eyes. Paige got up from the floor and tackled Emily on the bed.

"Mercy! Mercy," Emily laughed, trying to escape Paige's grasp.

Paige straddled Emily and pinned her arms down. There was a brief moment where all Emily wanted to do was flip Paige over and have her way.

"Come on smelly, you need a shower," Paige joked.

"Why don't you join me?"

"Why don't you make me," Paige said, leaning in closer. Her wet hair whisking across Emily's chest. Paige heard Emily shudder underneath her.

Emily unpinned herself from Paige and pushed her down onto the bed. Emily stared into Paige's light brown orbs with awe. Paige propped herself up on her elbows and reached up to capture Emily's lips.

"Mmmhhh," Emily hummed, her eyes still closed.

"Alright, stinky! In the shower!" Paige said, sitting up.

"Cold showering me," Emily pouted.

"Only because I love you," Paige said, giving Emily a quick peck on the lips.

"Fine," Emily said, pushing herself off the bed.

Paige waited a few minutes until she heard the water running. She quickly got up, shedding her clothing as she went. Emily just gotten into the shower when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. A smile crept onto her lips.

"Couldn't resist?" Emily joked, turning around.

"For you, never," Paige smiled.

"So, where's your roommate?" Emily asked, noticing that she hadn't seen her around since she arrived.

"Oh, Avery, she lives like five minutes from here so she's at home."

"Wait so like she just gonna live at home all year?"

"No, she's just living at home for training, then when school starts her parents are making her live here."

"Gotcha."

"So, what about you? Anything on the roommate front?"

"Yeah, her name's Leigh. She's on the soccer team."

"Is she a soccer bitch?" Paige asked, noticing that Emily had become very quiet.

"What? No, I mean, I don't know. She seems nice, but I've only talked to her on Facebook, so…"

"I'm sure everything will work out, besides you've got this sort of charm that makes everyone like you," Paige smiled.

"Yeah, we'll see," Emily smiled. "So what are we doing today?"

"Well, I have practice at 6 tonight, which cuts right into a romantic dinner, but I was thinking that we could walk around Palo Alto for a little bit."

"I recall you mentioning something about macaroons…"

"Oh did I?" Paige smirked.

Emily playfully tackled Paige onto the bed, and pinned her down.

"Yes, and I expect to be served," Emily joked.

Emily planted a quick kiss on Paige's lips before hopping off the bed and grabbing her things. Paige propped herself up on her elbow and watched the beauty before her prance around the room. Paige shook her head smiling before following Emily.

They walked around the natural reserve for a few hours. Emily insisted that she wanted to go and see some nature-y things. They walked a few paths on the reserve and found a few creeks and rivers to stick their feet into.

It was around 2pm, when Paige's finally heard Emily's stomach rumble with hunger.

"Wow, someone's hungry," Paige laughed, and Emily patted her hungry stomach.

"I know baby, don't worry, I'll get you something yummy to eat," Emily said to her stomach.

"Come on, I know the perfect place," Paige said.

They made their way back to Paige's car. Emily tried to contain her hungry growls, but soon her stomach would no longer be quiet. It growled every minute. About 10 minutes, they pulled into a parking lot, and walked for another 10 minutes before they reached a small café.

Paige quickly went in and grabbed Emily something small to tide her over. They took a seat out on the patio and waited for a server.

"Here, eat this," Paige said, taking out a small croissant.

"Paige, you didn't have to."

"I think I did, or your stomach might have strangled me," Paige laughed.

They order their meals, and enjoy a light conversation. Emily felt that comfortable feeling start to return. She was relieved that she was only an hour away from Paige, instead of a 6-hour flight away or a 3-day drive.

"Alright, I need the gym after this meal," Emily said, leaning back in her chair.

"Well how about this, while I'm at practice, you can hit the gym and then we'll get take-out or something, and just have a night in?"

"I love the sound of take-out and movies," Emily smiled.

"Paige, I swear to god if you press play I'm leaving," Emily said, trying to pry the remote from Paige's hand.

"Ah, ah, Em," Paige said, pulling the remote towards her. "You can't leave."

"What makes you think that I won't?"

"Because you love me too much," Paige smirked. "And because, I want to cuddle with you."

"I hate you sometimes, you know that," Emily said, curling up next to Paige.

"I know you do," Paige said, hitting the 'play' button. "But you love me more."

"Yes, I do," Emily said, kissing Paige on the cheek.

Paige enjoyed watching Emily hide her eyes with the hem of her shirt. She enjoyed the way Emily would suddenly yelp or grab her shirt, but most of all she enjoyed the way Emily would curl up next to her and run her fingers up and down the length of her stomach.

"See it wasn't that bad," Paige said as the credits started rolling.

"Yeah, you can say that," Emily said, still cowering under Paige.

"Ready for another?"

"No, way, I think I'm ready for something else."

"Huh, and what would that be?" Paige said, turning over to face Emily.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe, we could get this off," Emily said pulling at the hem of Paige's t-shirt.

"Oh really," Paige said, pulling at her shirt, "you would like that…"

Emily didn't respond. Paige felt Emily's lips crash against her. Emily's hands wandered Paige's body. She pulled at the hem of Paige's shirt and pulled it over her head.

"I think this has to come off," Paige said, pulling at Emily's shirt.

"You'd like that," Emily smirked.

"More than you know," Paige said, pulling Emily's shirt over her head.

The rest of the week few by for the both of them, and soon they found themselves in a car heading back to Cypress. Paige drove back separately, so that she could help Emily bring all of her stuff to her dorm.

The last thing that Emily wanted was to get back into a car and drive. She was hoping that she could convince Paige to just drive with her, but it didn't make sense to make two trips when it could be done in one. She tried to kept track of Paige on the highway, but Paige's Toyota looked like every other Toyota on the road.

It was around 6 o'clock when Emily pulling into Paige's driveway. She waited a few minutes to see if Paige was anywhere near her, before she decided to head inside.

"Oh Emily. It's good to see you! How was the drive?" Christine asked, giving Emily a hug.

"It was good! I just glad to out of the car," Emily laughed.

"Well, I'm just about to make dinner. Make yourself at home," she said before heading into the kitchen.

Emily headed upstairs to Paige's room and started to grab some of her things and bring them to her car. On the second trip down, she saw Paige's car coming down the street. When Paige pulled up into the driveway, she rolled down her window and stuck her head out.

"I heard you were in need of a mover," she said, smiling.

"Is that so…" Emily smiled. "Well…you can start with this box and then grab the rest of them from upstairs."  
"Putting me to work already," Paige said getting out of the car and stretching.

"Of course," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige. "How was the drive?"

"It was good, but I hate traffic…"

"Well, don't worry, we have to leave early tomorrow, so we shouldn't have to worry about it."

"I expect to receive something in return for doing all the heavy lifting," Paige said, wrapping her arms around Emily's neck.

"And what would that be?"

"You…" Paige said, kissing Emily.

"Mmmhhhh," Emily hummed, her eyes still closed. "I like that sound of that."


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! There's only a few more chapter left in the story! I think It's gonna be around 30 chapters, but I'm trying punch them out as quick as possible for you guys. I'm working on a short story, before getting into the real heat of things. Anyways, let me know what you'll think of this chapter or if you have any suggestions, comments, concerns. :)**

 **Chapter 27**

The sound of the alarm blared throughout Paige's room. Paige groaned and quickly turned it off, before rolling back over. She wrapped her arms around Emily's naked body and pulled her closer.

"Is it morning already?" Emily yawned.

"Well…the sun's not even up yet..." Paige said, looking out her window.

"Just hold me for a few more minutes," Emily said, turning to face Paige.

"As you wish," Paige said, smiling.

She ran her fingers gently through Emily's hair. She admired all of Emily from the small scar on her eyebrow to the naked body against hers.

"It's time to get up Em," Paige said, placing a gently kiss on Emily's forehead.

"Already?" Emily asked.

"I'm sorry," Paige whispered, "but you gotta get your pretty ass up."

"Ugh…" Emily groaned.

"I'm going to get some breakfast started," Paige said, getting out of bed. "You…get in the shower. Can't have you smelling on your first day."

Emily slowly crawled out of bed and headed to the shower. She relished in the fact that she could use Paige's shampoo and conditioner. Now she could smell Paige for the rest of the day. When she got out of the shower, she grabbed clothes out of Paige's dresser and put them on. Paige was already dressed and cooking breakfast when Emily got downstairs.

"Oh…I like," Paige said, when she spotted Emily.

"Sorry. I packed all my clothes last night," Emily said, looking down at her outfit.

"No…you look great," Paige said admiring her girlfriend. "I like it when you wear my clothes."

"It's a nice style change," Emily smiled.

Paige's style in clothing was different from Emily's. Paige liked the simple clothes, like flannels, t-shirts, jeans, but Paige looked good in any style of clothing.

Emily on the other day was more girly than Paige, and enjoyed sundresses, skirts, cute shirts, and heels.

"Alright, cutie, it's time to eat," Paige said, placing a plate of eggs, bacons, and pancakes in front of Emily.

"Damn, and I thought that you couldn't cook," Emily laughed.

"Well…I'll let you in on a little secret," Paige said, beckoning Emily to lean in closer. "My mom already made the batter."

"I knew something was off," Emily laughed, giving Paige a quick peck on the lips.

"Eat up princess, you've got a long drive ahead of you."

They finished their breakfast and then finished carrying the boxes down to the cars. They managed to fit everything into the two cars.

"See you in a few hours," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige.

"That you will," Paige said, giving Emily a gentle kiss. "Drive safe."

"You too."

The sun was just starting to rise when they pulled out of Paige's driveway. Emily gave the house one last look, before turning down the street. She followed Paige onto the highway, and they were off.

They pulled off at a rest stop about fours hours into the drive to get gas and food. Emily glanced at her phone, 7:45am. Her check in time was 11:30, which gave her a little under three hours to get to Berkeley.

"Coffee for my lady," Paige said, offering Emily a stream cup of coffee.

"Oh, this smells amazing," Emily sighed, inhaling the coffee smell.

"Only the best," Paige said smiling. She took a seat next to Emily on the hood of her car. "You okay?"

"What…yeah…just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"You…me…school…swimming…how I'm going to survive without you?"

"Hey," Paige said, lifting Emily's chin. "I promise you that we'll be okay. We survived the summer…we can do a school year…and we'll see each other during meets. We'll be okay. You know you can call me whenever you want."

"I know. I just trying to let my brain grasp reality…I guess it's on overload right now."

"Everything will be okay."

They continued their drive to Berkeley. When they pulled up in front of Emily's building, there were parents swarming around. Paige pulled her car up next to Emily's.

"Stay here. I'm just going to check in," Emily said, leaving Paige to guard the cars.

Paige watched Emily walk over to the check-in table. She could sense the nerves building up in Emily, by the way she was walking, talking, and moving. She looked around the campus.

"So, where to?" Paige asked, when Emily returned.

"Towle Hall. The lady said it's about three blocks from here," Emily said, punching the address into her GPS.

"Alright. I'll follow you," Paige said getting into her car.

It was about a ten-minute drive, before they pulled up in front of Emily's dorm. Paige's jaw dropped when she saw Emily's living complex. It was amazing; there was a courtyard enclosed in the middle of the buildings.

"Wow, Em, this is amazing," Paige said, trying to get Emily to loosen up a little.

"Yeah, it is isn't…" Emily said, looking up at the buildings.

"Which one is yours?" Paige asked. Emily looked around and pointed to one of buildings in the middle. "Well, how about we get you moved in?"

"Sounds good…"

They hauled box and box up three flights of stairs. It was around 2pm when they finally got all of Emily's things in her room. Paige took her time to familiarize herself with Emily's room. It was a suite. There were two rooms, both doubles, with a bathroom. Emily's room was the room on the far left, across from the bathroom.

"Do you need to me help with anything else?" Paige asked.

"I think I'm just going to organize everything later. Right now, I'm starving. How about we check out the dining hall?" Emily offered.

"Alright, lead the way…"

They had a quite lunch. Paige figured that Emily was just trying to adjust to the big changes ahead of her. After lunch, they wandered around the campus before heading back to Emily's dorm. There was a swimming meeting that evening that Emily had to go to.

"Call me when you get back to Stanford, okay?" Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige's waist.

"Of course. If you need any help with anything, you know where to find me," Paige said, smiling.

"I know."

"I'll see you soon, Em," Paige said, kissing the top of Emily's head. "I love you…"

"I love you too," Emily said, reaching up and kissing Paige.

Emily watched Paige cross the courtyard from her window. She couldn't believe how quickly she had fallen in love with Paige.

Paige turned around and looked back at Emily's window. She gave a small wave before disappearing down the street.

The next month was the hardest month for Emily. The whole adjustment was a lot for her. She had to figure out how to manage swimming, homework, and her social life. The rest of her roommate were also athletes, and understood the struggle that Emily was facing. She hadn't seen Paige at all since school started. The only time she saw Paige was during their scrimmage with Stanford and a few other surrounding universities. They talked and texted regularly, but that was it for the first month of school.

They tried to work out their schedules, but something always seems to get in the way, whether it was an additional practice on the weekend, or if they had a test coming up, or even just social events.

Emily took Hanna's advice and rushed a sorority so that she could meet to people, and enjoy something other than swimming. Paige joined a few academic clubs and joined the program board that hosts university activities.

By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, the swimming season had really started. Emily had visited Paige a few times. They'd seen each other frequently, almost every weekend for swim meets.

Their teams would usually stay in the same hotel, and their hotel mates were kind enough to give them some privacy.

"So, do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?" Paige asked, running her fingers through Emily's hair.

"Do homework…coach gave us the weekend off."

"Well…if you're interested…I'm going home for the weekend. You're welcome to join."

"Is your mom making Turkey?"

"Only the best turkey ever…well I've never had Pam's turkey so I can't compare…but this turkey is top notch."

"Okay…but only if you promise that that turkey is top notch."

"Cross my heart," Paige said, making the motion over her chest.

"God, what would I do without you?"

"Die?"

"Ah!" Emily said, playfully punching Paige.

"Well…I'd die," Paige whispered.

"You have no idea what would happen if I lost you."

"I hope we never have to find out," Paige said, kissing Emily's forehead.

There was a knock on the door, and one of Paige's teammates, Hannah, entered the room.

"Hey, we're heading out soon," she said collecting her bags.

"Alright, I'll be down in a minute," Paige said, gathering her things.

"When do your flight leave?"

"11, yours?"

"2."

"I'll see you at Thanksgiving," Paige said, kissing Emily.

"Fly safe."

"You too," Paige said.

Emily pulled into the McCullers's driveway late Wednesday night. Paige's car was already in the driveway. Most of the lights were turned off in the house except for the kitchen.

Emily grabbed the spare key and let herself into the house. She found Paige laying on the couch, fast asleep, with the TV playing in the background. Emily tried to be as quiet as possible, but an excited Ellie came pounding towards her. It was enough to wake Paige from her slumber.

"Em?" Paige asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey," Emily replied softly. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't worry about it," Paige said, pushing herself off the couch. "I'm just glad you're here."

"Me too, come let's go to bed," Emily said, wrapping an arm around Paige's waist.

"I like the sound of that," Paige said yawning.

The next morning Paige felt a strong arm wrap tightly around her. Emily placed gently kisses along Paige's neck.

"Mmmhh," Paige hummed. "You sure know how to wake a girl up."

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself."

"I like it," Paige said, rolling over to face Emily.

"Hey Paige…" Emily probed. She'd been wanting to ask this question since she first came to California. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything?"

"How come I haven't met your brother or seen him?"

Emily immediately regretted asking the question. Paige's body became and she looked away before getting out of bed.

"Paige, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to," Emily said, trying to get Paige back.

"It's okay…I just need to get some air," Paige said, before walking out of the room.

Emily was mentally beating herself for asking the question. She knew that Paige hadn't brought it up for a reason. She pulled on a sweatshirt before getting out of bed. Christine was in the kitchen making breakfast when Emily entered the kitchen.

"Emily! Glad to see you made it here okay," Christine said warmly. "Is Paige still sleeping?"

"Um, no…she needed to get some air," Emily said, looking at her coffee.

"What happened? Are you two fighting?" Christine asked, noticing the worried look on Emily.

"I don't know. I asked her something I shouldn't, and she said 'needed some air.'"

"Let me guess…it was about her brother, Patrick?" Christine asked.

"How did you know?"

"It's the only thing that gets to her this way," Christine said, taking a seat next to Emily.

"I didn't mean to pry into anything personal…I just…"

"Just noticed…that he's never been around…that you've never met him…"

"Yeah…"

"It's natural for someone to be curious."

"I see all this pictures of him around Paige's room, but Paige doesn't talk about him a lot…"

"She used to talk about him all the time. Patrick was her hero, but as you might have guessed…life hasn't been so easy for Paige these past few years."

"I don't want to be intrusive, but what happened? If you don't mind me asking."

"It was three years ago, during Paige's sophomore year. Patrick was in a car accident while going to pick up Paige for Thanksgiving break. It's always tough for her around this time of year."

"She blames herself for Patrick's accident."

"Paige doesn't like to express the things that cause her the most pain…She always puts people before herself" Christine said, placing a hand on Emily's. "Until she met you…"

"Me?"

"I can see the change you've brought in Paige. She's happier…I don't think I've seen her smile, and I mean really smile, until she met you."

Their conversation was broken, when Paige walked in through the back door. She momentarily observed the scene before her, before ducking her head.

"Oh Paige, your just in time for breakfast," Christine said, acting as if nothing had happened.

Paige ate her breakfast quietly, before excusing herself from the table. Emily decided to help Christine with the dishes, before going back up to Paige's room. Paige was sitting on the edge of her bed. Her hair was still wet from a shower, and her eyes were noticeably red and puffy. Emily leaned against the wall opposite Paige.

"I'm sorry," Paige said, wiping a tear away. "I didn't mean to push you away."

"I know," Emily said, kneeling in front of Paige. "I know that these past few years have been tough, but you can't keep shutting people out. Somewhere inside you're in pain. You can't keep putting others in front of you Paige. You gotta step back and help yourself for once."

"I know…"

"Let me in Paige…"

"I want…god…you have no idea…" Paige said, trying to stop the tears from falling. "…I've hiding the pain for so long, that I don't even know how to let it out…"

"Come here," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige.

Emily let Paige's tear soak her shirt, as she gently rubbed circles on Paige's back.

"I'm sorry Paige," Emily whispered.

The following day Paige was back to her usual self, but she had thought about what Emily had said about letting people in. Every Thanksgiving Paige would go and visit Patrick, but this time she was going to let Emily in.

"Hey," Paige said, entering her room.

"Hey," Emily replied.

"Are you busy?" Paige asked, noticing that Emily was looking over some of her books.

"Not really, what's up?" Emily asked, looking up from her books.

"I was thinking about what you said, about letting people in."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah…and there's somewhere I want to take you," Paige said, kneeling in front of Emily.

"Okay," Emily said, smiling.

Paige waited for Emily to gather her things. The car ride was silent. Emily didn't dare break the silence. She feared that she might say something that would make Paige push her away again.

They pulled into what looked like an apartment complex, or something of the sorts. Emily observed her surroundings; the entire complex was 1-floor. Emily felt Paige's hand wrap around hers.

Emily followed Paige down a series of hallways, before they stopped in front of a white door that had the name McCullers on it. She knocked twice, before she heard someone from inside call 'it's open'. Paige opened the door and allowed Emily to walk in first.

The door opened up into a small apartment that had been adapted for someone in a wheelchair. Paige took Emily's things and set them down on the table before wandering off.

"Patrick?" Paige called.

Emily was slightly shocked when she realized that Patrick was in fact alive. She understood why Paige carried such a burden. She looked around the apartment and saw pictures of the two of them doing things that Patrick was no longer able to do. Paige must have felt as if she took everything away from Patrick.

"Hey, Em, there's someone I want you to meet," Paige said coming back into the living room.

Emily heard the whizzing of an electric wheelchair come down the hallway. Emily recognized Patrick instantly. He and Paige shared so many similar aspects.

"Em, this is my brother, Patrick," Paige said, smiling.

"Ah, this is the famous Emily I hear so much about," he said, smiling.

"It's nice to meet you," Emily said, instinctively sticking out her hand.

Emily noticed that he body was stiff, and she immediately regretted sticking out her hand for him to shake. To her surprise, he lifted out her right hand and shook her hand.

"I know, some people think I can't move anything," he said laughing. "I always love surprising them."

Emily was surprised to see how humorous he was, just like Paige.

"So Emily, Paige tells me that you're a swimmer at Berkeley?"

"Yup."

"How's Berkeley so far?"

"It's great! I couldn't complain even if I wanted too, well except for the workload."

"I hear that," he said, laughing.

"You ready to go?" Paige asked.

"Yup, the driver should be here in a few," Patrick said, reaching for jacket. "You guys go ahead and make sure that mom doesn't burn the turkey."

"Burn the turkey? I heard this turkey was top notch."

"Oh…really..." Patrick said laughing. "You're in for a treat."

"Top notch turkey huh," Emily said, trying to hide a laugh as they walked to the car.

"What? How else was I suppose to get you to sleep with me?" Paige said playfully.

"Well…you could show me those abs of yours again," Emily said, playing with the hem of Paige's shirt.

"You mean these?" Paige said, lifting up her shirt ever so slightly to relieve a little bit of ab.

"Stop teasing me," Emily said, trying to control herself.

"I'm not teasing you," Paige said, lifting her shirt up a little higher.

"I hate you right now," Emily pouted as she buckled her seatbelt.

When they pulled up into the driveway, Emily buckled her seatbelt and went to get out of the car but a gentle hand stopped her.

"You okay?" Emily asked, looking at Paige.

"Thank you," Paige said softly. "It's been a long time since I've let someone in…"

"I know," Emily said, resting a hand on Paige's thigh. "Your brother's amazing, by the way."

All Paige could do was smile. It felt good to finally let someone in. The only people that she'd let in to her life were Hanna and Shana, and now Emily. It felt so good to finally let someone she loved in. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Come on, we have to make sure your mom doesn't burn the turkey," Emily joked.

"Hey, burnt turkey is the best kind of turkey," Paige said, following Emily into the house.

"Oh girls, your just in time," Christine said, pulling the turkey out of the oven. "Is Pat on his way?"

"Yup. He was right behind us. He should be here any minute," Paige said looking out the window.

"Emily would you mind helping me set the table?"

"Not at all," Emily said happily.

Emily kept a careful eye on Paige, just to make sure that she was okay. This was the first time that Paige was letting someone, and she didn't want anything to go wrong. Emily heard Paige open the door when Patrick arrived. She'd always wondered why there had been a wooden ramp covering the stairs; now she knew why.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's getting this food going," Nick said taking a seat at the table.

This was one of the most memorable Thanksgiving that Emily had had yet. The McCullers were an interesting and loving bunch. They would crack jokes at each other. She guessed that was were Paige got her skills in joking. Patrick's disability didn't seem to phase him much or the family for that matter. They didn't act as if he was completely disabled and unable to help himself. He was able to do most things that everyone else was doing. A smile appeared on Emily's lip as she watched Paige and Patrick tease each other about something.

"I'm telling you Patrick that didn't count. You cheated…" Paige said throwing her hands in the air.

"Hey I bet you fair and square…no one said anything about being on wheel," Patrick said, laughing.

"Whatever Pat…" Paige said, shaking her head.

Paige's eyes landed on Emily's. She gave Emily a small smile and a wink, before returning to her meal.

"I see someone's madly in love," Patrick whispered to Paige.

"Oh shut up," Paige said, giving Patrick a nudge. "At least I'm better at hiding it than you and Erin."

"You know, I've only met a few of Paige's friends, but this is the first time I've actually met one of her girlfriends," Patrick said, wheeling up next to me.

"Really? You didn't meet Shana?"

"Nope. She only came out here a few times. Paige didn't really talk about her that much, but she can never shut up about you."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Emily said laughing.

"You're good for her Emily. I can see it."

"You're good for her too," Emily said lamely.

"Of course I am! I gotta keep her on her toes somehow," he said, smiling. "I do miss her sometimes…the real Paige. After my accident, I never really saw Paige smile or laugh the way she used to…until you came along…so keep doing what you're doing."

"Yes, sir," Emily said.

"Well, looks like my rides here," Patrick said, looking at the car that was pulling into the driveway.

"Here, I'll walk you out," Emily said, noticing that Paige was busy cleaning up.

"Sounds good! You want a ride?" Patrick joked. "See you guys next week!" he called to his family, before following Emily outside.

Emily waited patiently while the driver helped get Patrick into the car. It took a while for the ramp to come down, but once it was, Patrick wheeled into the car.

"It was great meeting you Em," he said, smiling. "I hope I get to see you around more. Believe it or not I actually like you."

"I'll try my best," Emily said, laughing.

"Keep an eye on her."

"I'll keep two."

"Ah, see, I'm liking you more and more," he said laughing. "Take care of yourself."

"You too," Emily said, closing the car door.

Paige watched Emily from the living room window. She saw Patrick laughing at something that Emily was saying. A warmth grew in her heart as she watched the interaction between the two. Emily was right, letting people in did feel good.

"Don't let this one get away," Christine said, resting a gently hand on Paige's shoulder.

"I'll try not to," Paige said, giving her mother a soft smile.

"She's changed you. You smile more."

"I know," Paige said, smiling more.

"Don't stay up too late, okay?"

"I won't, I have to swim tomorrow, and remember we have dinner with some of dad's friends."

"You know, you and Emily can always go out instead. You don't have to sit and listen to old people talk."

"Are you sure? Dad wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not honey. Besides, you two don't get to spend a lot of time together when you're at school. Trust me, you won't miss anything important," Christine said, giving Paige's a warm smile.

"Thanks mom," Paige said, pulling her mother into a hug.

"Anytime, sweetie. Just be responsible."

"I always am."

Paige waited in the kitchen, until Emily came back into the house. A smile appeared on her face, when Emily entered the kitchen.

"What are you smiling at?" Emily asked.

"Not much, just you," Paige said, resting her chin on her hands.

"Aw…aren't you just the cutest," Emily joked. "So what now?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could just relax, maybe watch a movie or something."

"I would love that…after all I think my burnt turkey food baby needs to rest."

"Told you it was gonna be good."

"It was excellent," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Paige. "I think it might be better than my mom's, but don't tell her."

"My lips are sealed," Paige said, sealing her lips.

A smile appeared on Emily's lips as she watched Paige seal her lips. She wrapped her arms tightly around Paige's waist and pulled her closer.

"Dance with me?"


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello! So I decided to do a time jump and skip through their college years. I know I'm really sorry, but this story would have been like 45 chapters if I didn't. I was thinking about maybe writing a short, like one or two chapters, of that five year time gap. Would you guys want that? Let me know! :)**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you for being such loyal readers/commenters/followers, it really means a lot. Also I'm working on another short FF right now. It will probably be the last one I write for this year. Sorry!**

 **Also check out other fan fictions written by other authors like, The Girl Next Door, Paily Prompts, Scar Tissue. I really like all your stories btw!**

 **Thanks! Stay cool!**

 **Chapter 28**

Five Years Later…

Emily rolled her diploma over and over again with her fingers. Five years of hard work done, six years with an amazing woman, and one amazing job offer that she couldn't refuse. She'd been offered a job to work in Boston at a prestigious physical therapy that worked with the wealthiest and well-known clients. She'd wanted to tell Paige ever since she'd gotten the offer, but she didn't want to distract Paige from this business deal her company was trying to make. Paige had been out of college for a year now and was working a business firm that promotes global efforts for third world countries. Emily had tried to put off accepting the offer, until she had the chance to talk to Paige. Unfortunately, the deadline on the offer was in less than 24 hours.

"Em? You home?" she heard Paige call from the front door.

"Yeah, in here." A few minutes later Paige appeared in the living room of their apartment.

"Hey," she said happily, wrapping her arms around Emily and giving her a gentle kiss. "You looked great out there today! I'm sorry I could you after. "Paige pulled a small box from her jacket pocket and handed it to Paige. "Here I got you something."

"Paige…you didn't have to…" Emily said, looking at the small box.

"I wanted to," Paige said, placing the box in Emily's hand. "It's your big day, remember."

Emily opened the box. A small silver necklace with a leaf pendant. Emily ran her fingers over the shiny metal for a few minutes before looking back at Paige.

"You don't like…"

"What, no, I love it," Emily argued. "I'm sorry, my head's just in an another place right now."

"It's okay," Paige said, taking the box from Emily's hand and setting it on the table. Paige motioned for Emily to take a seat on the couch. "What's going on?" Silence ensued. "You've been out of it for weeks Em. You know you can talk to me about anything…"

"I know…" Emily sighed. She took a deep breath before continuing. "A few weeks ago a private practice, that works with athletes reached out to me and offered me a job working as an intern."

"That's great!" Paige said excitedly. But from the expression on Emily's face, maybe it wasn't great news. "Okay…not great?"

"They gave me time to think about it, but I have to decide by tomorrow morning if I want to the job."

"Okay, well, I think you should take it."

"You don't even know anything about the job."

"Em, you love what you do, and you should do what you love. So what's stopping you from taking it?"

"It's in Boston…"

"Well do you want the job?" From the look on Emily's face, Paige knew that the only thing from Emily taking the job was her. "Take the job, Em."

"What about you? You have a job here, and we have a life here. I don't want to just forget about all of that, and I don't want to leave you. I can find a job around here."

"No, Em. This is a once in a life time offer. Would you really give that up just to stay here?" Emily didn't answer for a minute, but she looked down at her hands.

"Y-yes, I would."

"No, you wouldn't. I know you…"

"But, I can't leave you…"

"Who said you would…" Paige smiled.

"What are you talking about?"

"Emily, I'm a business major, jobs for us are practically everywhere...and my company has a branch in Boston. I can request a transfer."

"Paige, I can't just ask you to uproot your life for me."

"Yes, Em, you can. Look," Paige said, lacing her hand with Emily's. "I…love…you, more than anything in this world. If that means that I have to leave, then I leave. You've worked so hard to get to where you are, so please don't give up this opportunity just because of me."

"What about you, family, Patrick? What 'bout them?"

"There's a perk on having a branch here. I may not see them as often, but it's not like I'm leaving for good. Everyone eventually goes their separate ways."

"Paige, there's time to think about this is you're unsure."

"Emily…I love you, and I'm willing to make the sacrifice if that means that I get to spend more time you."

"Okay…I'll call them tomorrow morning."

"Great, now we have two things to celebrate! Your parents are still coming to dinner right?"

"Yeah."

"Great! My parents are meeting us at the restaurant in 30 minutes."

"Okay. Paige…you're absolutely sure about this? Do you want to talk about it more?"

"Yes, I'm sure, and we can talk about it more after dinner, but right now, let's just enjoy the fact that you've just graduated and already have a job."

"I love you," Emily said, in between kisses.

"I love you more."

The practice was delighted to hear that Emily would be joining her and offered to pay for her flight out to Boston, which Emily gratefully accepted. She and Paige began looking at apartments in the Boston area. Paige knew a few people and was able to get a brownstone near Emily's work for a reasonable price.

"So what did you boss say about your transfer?" Emily asked, on their way to airport.

"The transfer takes an about a month to go through, but I told them that I'd work until the end of the year, then transfer to the Boston office at the start of January. It was easier that way will all the paperwork and what not." Paige gave Emily's hand a gentle squeeze. "Hey it's only four months."

"I know. I just hate leaving you."

"It hasn't gotten any easier for me either," Paige said, with a weak smile.

"Thank you for everything. You have no idea how much it means to me." They pulled up in front of the drop off zone a few minutes later.

"Call me when you land, okay?"

"I will."

"I love you…"

"I love you too," Emily said kissing Paige.

"Be safe, okay?"

"Okay."

Paige watched Emily walk away from her once again. The growing ache in her heart began to get stronger and stronger. She'd hadn't felt that ache in years.

The following months were brutal for Paige. She'd wake up to a cold bed, go to work, come home, and go back to bed. She was mentally counting down the days until she would be in Boston with Emily.

As December rolled around she began sending her things to their apartment in Boston. She'd add little things that Emily liked, like chocolate cover blueberries, movies, or wine. She paid the final rent on the apartment, before moving the rest of her things out of the apartment.

She spent the last two weeks of December with her family, enjoying the time that she was given before moving out to Boston. Patrick had gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend from college, Erin.

"So when are you and Emily going to put a ring on it?" Patrick joked.

"Well. I was going to try, but I figure one child engaged at a time," Paige laughed.

"I see, I see," Patrick laughed. "Well, I do hope she's the one. I like her."

"Oh, I see. You don't have to worry about that."

"Good! So…Boston…I think you'll like it out there."

"I think I will too. It'll be a nice change, you know."

"And Emily…how's she liking her new job?"

"She loves it! She sent me a picture the other day of her with Patrice Bergeron. I just glad that she took the job."

"Wow. Well I'm glad. And you? Do you like your job?"

"Yeah. I do. It's a great company doing great things, for people in need. Not to mention the staff is wonderful. I just hope that Boston will live up to California, work wise."

"I'm sure it will, and if not, there are plenty of jobs out there for business women like you. With the experience you have, practically anyone will want you."

"Thanks, Pat. It means a lot."

"And it would mean even more if you and Emily would be able to make it to the wedding."

"Of course we will! We wouldn't miss it for anything!"

"Good!" I expect you to get me lavish gifts from Boston."

"We'll see," Paige laughed. "I'll get you a tea cozy."

"Oh now that just hurts…"

"Oh…big baby," Paige cooed.

"Enjoy Boston Paige, and tell Em Erin and I say 'hi'."

"I will, and I'll see you for the wedding."

On December 30th, Paige found self on an airplane to Boston. She'd planned on flying out the 1st, but she'd managed to leave a few days earlier to surprise Emily. It was around 7pm, when Paige arrived at Logan. She hailed a taxi to the apartment. Emily hadn't given her a key to apartment yet, but the lights were on when she arrived at the door.

She knocked on the door a few times before she heard footsteps approaching. The sound of the deadbolts unlocked, before the door opened slowly.

"Hey, Em," Paige smiled as soon as Emily appeared in the doorway.

"PAIGE!" Emily shouted, leaping into Paige's arms. "Oh my god! You're here!"

"Yes I am," Paige chuckled, giving Emily a gentle kiss.

"I thought we weren't supposed to get here until the 1st."

"Ah, I took a few vacation days, thought I'd surprise you."

"Well, aren't I the lucky girl! Come in. It's freezing out there," Emily said, taking Paige's bags from her. Paige followed Emily upstairs to the bedroom. It was bigger than their room back in California.

"Wow, the house looks amazing, Em."

"I've had a lot of free time. Here, I want to show you your office."

"I have an office?"

"Of course you do! This apartment has too many rooms, I had to do something with them."

Emily guided Paige to a room opposite the kitchen. It was a small room, but Emily had put a desk and a chair, along with some file cabinets and bookshelves. She'd hung up a few pictures of the two of them and then some scenic pictures

"Wow. I love it," Paige said, walking around the room. "Where'd you get all these pictures?"

"Aria. She runs a photo business on the side. I sent her a few pictures and she framed them and sent them back. I hope you like them."

"Are you kidding me. These are amazing. Is this one from Big Sur?" Emily nodded, smiling. "Wow. I can't believe that was four years ago."

"I know. I was thinking that we should go back there."

"Well, now that you mentioned it. My brother's wedding is gonna be there in May. I figured we could go?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss a McCullers's wedding."

"Great, because I already told him we were coming."

"God…it's good to finally have you hear. I was really getting tired of sleeping alone." Paige smiled and wrapped her arms around Emily's neck.

"I could say the same thing."

"You know…There's this nice little restaurant around the corner. I heard they have amazing salmon."

"Oh…" Paige smiled. "You know I love salmon."


	29. Chapter 29

**I apologize for grammatical errors. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 29**

The following months were blissful for both Paige and Emily. They'd spend the weekdays working, and the weekends exploring Boston. Emily had made a list of things that she wanted to do and slowly they began crossing things off.

Emily saw more of Hanna and Aria. Hanna was working in the New York fashion district, and Aria was an author in Boston with her husband Ezra, who was teaching at Boston College. Spencer would come up from D.C. is she was working on a political thing in Boston.

Paige worked for the same company for the following months, finding that the company was still the same and the people were just the same as they were in California.

Boston was so much more lively than Berkeley. They watched the New Year's fireworks, went to First Night, and walked around the North End. Pam and Wayne Fields visited a few times, which both of them enjoyed. Emily hadn't seen her parents that much since she left for college. She'd come home a few times, but by the time junior year rolled around, she only went home for a week during the summer.

"You know, I'm glad you too decided to move out here," Pam said, one night during dinner. "It's nice to see the two of you more often."

"I agree. I miss you pancakes," Paige smiled. "I keep asking Emily to teach me how to make them."

"I'll be sure to pass along the recipe," Pam smiled.

"So, how's work for the two of you?"

"It's great! The company is amazing out here, and much more productive than in California."

"I love it here, and work…there aren't words to describe how amazing it is."

A smile appeared on Paige's lips as she listened to Emily talk all about her job and all the famous people that she's met, and how her boss lets her work independently and gives her her own office. She loved how Emily loved her work and how into she got, but most of all she loved to see how happy Emily was.

Paige had thought about what Patrick had said, about putting a ring on Emily. She'd already bought the ring, in fact, she'd been carrying it around with her for almost a year. There were so many times that Paige wanted to get down on knee and propose, but she wanted it to be the right moment. She knew where she wanted to propose, but they'd never been back there since the summer before college. Patrick's wedding gave her the moment that she was looking for.

May rolled around quickly for the both of them. They'd already put in time extra time so that they could take a week off for the wedding. They flew out to LAX, where Christine picked them up. They spent that night in Paige's old bedroom, before heading out to Big Sur the next day. The McCullers's family had book the site for three days and Paige had made sure to get a cabin for the two of them for the rest of the week.

"Paige!" Patrick called from entrance.

"Pat!" Paige smile. Pat pulled her into a tight hug, before wheeling over to Emily.

"Emily! It's great to see. I'm so glad you could make it out for the wedding," he said, pulling Emily in a hug.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Well. I'll let you two settle in. Drinks will be around 5 in the lodge before dinner."

"Sounds great!" Paige smiled.

They drove down the road a little way before they pulled up in front of their cabin. There were five other cabins circling in a ring around a fire pit. Paige explained to Emily that Erin's family was also staying in the surrounding cabins, along with Paige and her parents.

They quickly unpacked, and changed into appropriate attire before walking up to the lodge. There were at least thirty people in the lodge already. Emily recognized Pat and Erin, Paige's parents, and a few people that Paige had introduced her to before the wedding.

An elderly couple came up to the two of them. Paige seemed to recognize them instantly and began giving them hugs.

"Em, these are my grandparents," Paige said, introducing them to her. She made the connection instantly; they had similar features to Christine McCullers's.

"It's nice to meet you," Emily smiled, giving both of them warm hugs.

"Oh, she's so beautiful Paige. You picked a good one," Paige's grandmother said. Emily felt her cheeks grow bright red. The comment didn't seem to both Paige.

"Yeah. I'm just happy that she loves me back," Paige laughed.

"Aw. How long have you two been together?" From the conversation, Emily guess that Paige didn't see them or talk to them very much.

"Six years." The comment seemed to have shocked Paige's grandmother a bit. She glanced down at both of their hands as if to look for a ring. She seemed slightly disappointed when there was no ring to be found on either of there fingers.

"Oh my, congratulations to the both of you."

"Thanks, grandpa."

Paige introduced her to a few more people. She met Erin's parents, Phil and Margo, and her sister, Heather. They seemed like a very nice family and the more time she spent with them, the more she realized how much they love Paige and her family, and how much Paige and her family love them.

They had a pleasant dinner before heading back to the cabin. Phil started a fire and they sat around drinking beers for the next few hours, before the bride and groom, eventually retired to the cabin. Emily enjoyed her time with the two families. She loved listening the stories everyone had to tell, her and Paige told a few too.

"You wanna take a walk?" Paige asked, as the fire was starting to die down.

"Yeah," Emily yawned. Paige wrapped an arm around Emily, and held her tightly as they began to walk down the path. Emily heard the sound of running water a few minutes later

They took a seat on the rocks in front of the river. Paige had brought a blanket, that she threw over the two of them.

"I can't believe it's been so long," Emily sighed, looking up at the starry night.

"I know." Emily curled up next to Paige and rested her head on her chest.

"I wanna get married here…" Emily whispered. "It's beautiful here."

"One day Em, I'd like to marry you," Paige whispered, kissing the top of Emily's head.

"I'd like that…a lot."

The wedding was the following day. Paige spent most of the day with Patrick, helping him get ready. Emily helped Christine and Nick get the lodge ready for the wedding. It was a little after noon, when they both returned to the cabin to get ready for the wedding.

"You look amazing," Paige said, coming up behind Emily and wrapping her arms around her.

"So do you," Emily said, giving Paige a quick kiss before returning to her make-up.

"I was thinking that we could stay here a few more days after the wedding…if you're okay with that."

"Seriously? We can do that!" Emily said excitedly. "I'd love to."

"Great because I already reserved this cabin for a few more days."

"Sometimes, I wonder when you're going to stop doing little things for me."

"I'll never stop, and you love them," Paige smiled.

"I do love them," Emily said, turning to face Paige. "You ready?"

"More than ready!"

The wedding was beautiful. Paige swear she caught Emily shed a tear or two, during the exchanging of the vows. Paige herself felt her choke up a couple of times. She gave a short speech for the wedding, along with Erin's sister Heather.

Receptions was full of live and love. The dance floor was always occupied and Pat was always ripping up the dance floor with his moves. Paige and Emily dance for a few songs and made sure to dance for the slow songs along with the other couples.

The wedding was unlike any wedding Emily had ever been to. This wedding was so full of life. Everyone was dancing with anyone. There wasn't a moment of awkward silence during any of their conversations. Emily never found a dull moment during their three days there. In fact, Emily became close friends with Heather, who worked out in Boston as a newspaper editor.

It was well past midnight and the party was still rolling. It wasn't until three in the morning that Pat and Erin finally retired for the night. The party soon died down within the hour. Paige and Emily returned to their cabin and changed out of their formal wear. They headed down to the river to watch the sunrise, before calling it a night.

Nobody was up for breakfast that morning. It was around lunchtime that people starting rolling out of their cabins. Paige woke around noon. Emily was still fast asleep when Paige left for the lodge.

Paige found Patrick, Erin, and Heather sitting at a table. All of them looked like zombie eating lunch.

"Hey! Look who decided to wake up!" Pat laughed, catching sight of Paige.

"Look who decided to throw a rager last night," Paige laughed. "So how are the newly weds?"

"Oh god, they won't stop the PDA," Heather said, causing Paige to laugh.

"You'll know when ya'll get married," Erin said, giving Pat a quick kiss

"Speaking of getting married…" Paige said.

"YES! Finally," Pat shouted happily. He grabbed Paige and pulled her into a hug.

"I haven't asked her yet, but I was going to this week, while we're still here," Paige said, pulling out the box.

"Paige, you still carry this around with you?" Pat asked. Pat had gone with Paige to help her pick out the ring a year ago.

"Everywhere I go," Paige replied shyly.

"Well it's a beautiful ring Paige," Erin said, looking the ring over. "She'll love it."

"I just nervous that she'll say no…"

"Really, Paige. How long have you two been dating…like six years?" Pat started. "Trust me you have nothing to fear. I see the way she looks at you. She definitely loves you."

"Speaking of love, you might want to hide that," Erin said, motioning to Emily, who had just entered the lodge. Paige quickly pocketed the ring, just as Emily approached the table.

"Hey babe," Paige said, giving Emily a morning kiss.

"Oh god not you too," Heather said, turning away. Emily looked at Paige confused, but Paige just laughed along with Erin and Pat.

"Look who's the single on out," Erin teased.

"Ha…Ha…very funny. I'm going to grab some coffee. Anyone want coffee?" Everyone raised their hands. "God, you people."

"So, Paige tells me that you two are staying here for the rest of the week." Pat said, smiling.

"Yeah. It's kinda nice to get away for a little while, plus this place is absolutely beautiful."

"That's for sure. I was thinking that would could start up our family vacations here again."

"Mom and dad would love that," Paige commented. "This wedding was great."

"Then it's official. The McCullers's will officially be vacationing here every summer," Pat declared.

They spent the rest of the day with Paige's and Erin's family. The following day the rest of them checked out and it was just the two of them left. They spent the first day lolling around, hiking, swimming, whatnot. The second day they hiked one of the mountains here the cabins. That night, Paige cleaned up dinner, while Emily got a fire going. Paige turned on some music on her way out of the cabin and joined Emily next to the fire.

"You know. I think that this might have been the best week so far."

"I think so," Paige said smiling. "Dance with me?"

"Always," Emily smiled, taking Paige's hand.

Paige wrapped her arms around Emily's waist and pulled her close. Emily wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, and rested her head on Paige's shoulder as they swayed to the soft music.

"This reminds me of our first time out here."

"Dancing by the fire should be our thing shouldn't it?"

"Yeah…it should be…" Emily said smiling. "I could stay like this forever."

They dancing for a few more minutes, before Paige twirled Emily around and got on one knee. At first Emily didn't realize what was happening, but as soon as she saw Paige reach into her pocket, she realized what was happening.

"Paige…" Emily choked.

"Emily…I want to spend years dancing with you beside a fire, I want to be able to hold you in my arms as my wife, and kiss you from dawn till dusk. I want to love with you everything I have, and I want to make these six years that we've spent together an eternity. I want to be beside you for the happiest moments in your life, and I hope that you want the same. I love you so much Emily Fields, and I would love it if you would marry me," Paige said, holding out the ring in front of her.

"Yes…yes, yes, yes," Emily said happily, pulling Paige into a tight hug. "Yes!" She pulled Paige into a passionate kiss before slipping the ring onto her finger. "Emily McCullers…I quite like the name…" Emily twirled the ring around on her finger happily, before kissing Paige again. "It took you long enough." She joked.

"I wanted to wait for the right moment…" Paige said, wrapping her arms around Emily. "I think this was the right moment."

"I think you'd be right," Emily said, leaning in for a kiss.

"I love you Em."

"I love you too Paige."


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey guys this is the last chapter, short and sweet! I hope you enjoyed this story and I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you guys! You're truly awesome and I can't describe how much all of this means. I hope you'll stay tune for my next story and I hope to have it sometime soon! Feel free to PM or comment me during this short hiatus with questions, comments, concerns, ideas, or anything and I'll be sure to get back to you!**

 **LOVE YOU GUYS! ENJOY!**

 **One Year Later…**

"You ready?" Pat asked, fixing Paige's tie. Paige nodded.

"How do I look?"

"Dashing," he smiled. "Come on, let's get you married!"

Paige walked into the lodge were there were rows and rows of people seated. Nick wrapped an arm around his daughter and walked her down the aisle.

"You look amazing," he whispered as they walked.

"Thanks, dad."

"I'm so proud you," he said, placing a kiss on Paige's cheek before returning to his seat.

Paige's eye nervously scanned the crowd. She spotted Emily's friends, Hanna, Spencer, and Aria seating near the front of the alter. Pam was seated next her Paige's parents in the front row. Patrick gave her quick thumbs up before the music started playing. Paige's heart started racing as the music continued.

The moment Emily stepped out into the aisle, Paige felt as if her heart had stopped. Words could not describe how beautiful Emily looked. The white dress clung perfectly to her body, and her hair was flowing gracefully over her shoulders.

"You look amazing," Paige whispered, choking back her tears.

"So do you," she said, smiling, before the ceremony continued.

They waited patiently as Patrick continued ceremony. Patrick had decided to ordain himself on the internet, so that he could marry them. They exchanged their vows, waited anxiously to put the rings on each other.

"I now pronounce you, wife and wife," Patrick said proudly. "Alright Paige, just kiss her already."

"As you wish," Paige smiled, before planting a gentle kiss on Emily's lips.

"I love you, Paige."

"I love you more."

 **Three Years Later… (Married for three years)**

"Paige! It's happening!" Emily shouted from the stairs. She could hear Paige running down the hall and down the stairs loudly. She quickly grabbed her jacket and keys, before throwing a coat on Emily.

"You're okay, right? Is there anything I can do?" Paige asked, as she put the car into reverse.

"Just hold my hand okay," Emily said, breathing heavily.

"Okay," Paige said, grasping Emily's hand. "Don't worry. We're almost there."

They pulled up in front of the hospital about thirty minutes later, and Paige hurried Emily inside. The nurse checked them immediately, and Paige waited anxiously before she was allowed to see her.

"Mrs. McCullers, you can come back now," the nurse said, walking towards Paige.

Paige quickly gathered her things and followed the nurse down the hall. The turned into a room, and Paige found Emily lying in bed. Emily smiled when she caught sight of Paige.

"Hey," she sighed.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"God…I feel like this baby just doesn't want to come out," Emily said, wincing as a contraction came. Paige ran her fingers gently through Emily's hair.

"Well, I'm here for whatever you need," Paige smiled.

"Just let me hold your hand when a contraction comes…"

"Okay," Paige said, grasping Emily's hand tightly.

Paige held onto Emily's hand for a few hours, before the doctor gave Emily an epidural, and about an hours later, it was time.

"I hate you right now!" Emily hissed, as she squeezed Paige's hand through a contraction.

Paige trying to hold back a cry as Emily squeezed her hand. It felt as in all the bones in her hand were being shoved together.

"At least you have a hand after this," Paige winced.

"I'm sorry Paiii—ahhhhh" Emily scream, squeezing Paige's hand once again.

"You're doing great! Just a few more," the doctor encouraged.

"You're going great, baby," Paige said, kissing Emily's sweaty forehead.

"You can say that agai-ahhhhhh" Paige felt as if her hand had just be smashed several times with a hammer.

"You're almost here. Just one more push!"

"I better fucking be there! AAHHHH!" Paige felt something in her hand crack, and not in a good way.

There were a few moments of silence, and then a baby's cries filled the room. Emily started to cry tears of joy as the doctor brought over their new baby. Paige felt the tears starting to well up.

"It's a girl," the nurse said smiling as she placed the baby gently into Emily's arm.

"She's beautiful," Paige said, running a finger over the baby's soft cheeks.

"She looks like you," Emily said, half laughing, half crying.

"She's got your olive skin," Paige said, kissing Emily's forehead.

"Hey there Sophie," Emily cooed. She planted a gentle kiss on Sophie's head. "We're parents Paige…"

"Yes we are," Paige smiled happily. "…she's so beautiful…" Paige gently picked up Sophie's hand with her finger and gave it a little squeeze. "I love you, Em."

"I love you…I'm sorry about the hand," Emily said looking down at Paige's hand, which was starting to bruise. "You should go get that checked out."

"Okay, and you should rest. The parents will be here soon."

"Okay…"

Paige went with one of the nurse and had her hand x-rayed. It turned out that Emily had broken a bone in Paige's hand. The set and put a cast on it free of charge. Paige returned to Emily's room. Emily still had Sophie, who was quietly, in her arms.

"Oh my god, Paige. Your hand," Emily said, noticing the cast. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey…at least I didn't have to push a baby out…"

"True. I guess you deserved it," Emily said, smiling.

"She looks so peaceful," Paige said, eye Sophie.

"She does," Emily said, running a gently hand over Sophie's head.

There was a soft knock on the door. Pam, Wayne, Christine, and Nick were all standing in the doorway trying to contain their excitement. Paige motioned for them to come in. They all quietly surround the bed.

"Oh my god, she's gorgeous," Pam said, wrapping an arm around Paige.

"What's her name?" Christine asked.

"Sophie Fields McCullers."

"You done good kid," Nick said, pulling Paige into his arms. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks dad."

"Oh, Paige, what happened to her hand?" Pam asked, noticing the cast.

"Ah, yes, well, your daughter has a tight grip," Paige laughed. Emily smiled shyly back.

"That's my girl!" Wayne laughed.

"We'll live you too alone. We just wanted to see her first."

"Okay, here," Paige said, handing over the key to their house. "There are two guest rooms. Make yourself at home."

"Sounds good," Nick said, taking the keys. "Call us with updates. We'll back at in the morning"

"Of course."

"Oh, I'm just so happy," Pam said, giving Emily a small hug.

"Thanks, mom," Emily smiled.

About an hour later, a nurse brought a roll out bed for Paige. They spent the next few days in the hospital before both Emily and Sophie were released.

When they got back to the house, they found that their families had done a little extra to the nursery. They'd painted it a light lavender color, hung up a few pictures, and set up the crib. They brought several toys, dresser was filled with baby clothes, and the cabinets were stocked with diapers and other necessities.

"You guys, really didn't have to do all of this," Emily said, looking around the room.

"Oh yes we did. It's our only grandchild," Pam said, happily.

"We appreciate greatly," Paige said, giving Pam a hug. "Thank you."

"Any time. You can thank your parents for the color choice."

"You have no idea how much this means to us," Paige said, turning to her parents.

"We know. We're just happy to see you two, well now you three," Christine smiled.

"We expect that you'll visit more often."

"We will, don't you worry, and we have those yearly trips to Big Sur too."

"I have a feeling that Sophie will fall in love with the place," Paige said, shooting a smile towards Emily. "I know we both did."

"We'll let you two settle in. We're going to go out a do some shopping for dinner."

Paige took a seat, next to Emily on the sofa. Sophie resting quietly in Emily's arm.

"I can't believe this all started with me tell you about Shana…"

"Yeah," Paige chuckled. "It's kinda hard to believe. I'm just glad that it did happen, otherwise, we never would have had this beautiful baby girl."

"I'm so lucky to have you Paige," Emily said, kissing Paige. "You've honestly turned my world upside down."

"You've done the same," Paige smiled, "…and now look at us, we own a house, have steady jobs, and a beautiful baby…"

"Welcome home, Sophie…"


End file.
